Lightsabers, Ice Magic and Sisters
by unwriteranonymous
Summary: Elsa needs to learn to control her power over ice and snow. Who better to teach control over one's feelings than a Jedi? This particular Jedi, however, has always struggled with this particular aspect of training...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _This is the first long story that I'm posting here. This story comes with a warning though: the updates will probably be very slow. It took me nearly a week to write this chapter, and it's relatively short._

 _I decided to write this story because I like Star Wars and I like Frozen and there are way too little stories that combine both, so I figured I'd have to try and write one._

 _Now that I'm done with that, on with the story. Read, review and enjoy!_

* * *

It was a cold and sunny winter day. The fresh snow sparkled like diamonds, hurting Kristoff's eyes as he rode in the sled. The road they were travelling wound through the forest, the snow-covered pines glittering in the sun, but Kristoff had seen them far too many times to admire their beauty.

"I'm bored, Sven", he complained. The reindeer snorted quietly. "Nothing interesting has happened to us in such a long time… all we do is go up the mountains, cut the ice, move the ice to the city, sell it, use the money to buy more equipment and carrots." Sven snorted again, as if to say 'would you rather do anything else?'

Kristoff smiled. "Of course not. You got me there. Still, sometimes I can't help but wonder if that's all there is to life. Of course, then I think that I have way too much free time and alcohol on my hands if I'm thinking about those kinds of things."

Sven gave the reindeer equivalent of a chuckle, then stopped abruptly, ears swiveling.

"What is it, Sven?"

Sven didn't answer. Cautious, Kristoff got out of the sled and approached the reindeer. "What is it, boy? You smell wolves? Nah, what wolves, it's the middle of the day…"

His musings were interrupted when Sven nudged him on the side with his antlers. Kristoff turned his head to where the reindeer was pointing. For a moment, he just stood, awestruck.

"A giant falling star!" he whispered after regaining his breath. "In the day, and so bright! And it fell only half a mile away from here! Sven, we have to go see it!"

Kristoff hastily untied the sled from Sven- it would only slow them down, and anyway, he was alone in these mountains and didn't have to worry about anyone stealing it- jumped on Sven and yelled: "Come on, boy!"

Sven was all too eager to oblige, and set off in the general direction of the star at a breakneck pace. "I didn't know you could run that fast, Sven!" Kristoff shouted over the wind. You've been holding out on me!"

Sven just grunted and continued to run.

After a few minutes they reached a clearing in the forest. Sven came to an abrupt stop.

"Are you sure this is the place where the star landed?" Kristoff asked Sven. Then he replied to himself in a deeper voice, imitating his reindeer: "Of course. Look at all the smoke coming from there. It can't be anything else." His voiced returned back to normal as he replied to 'Sven': "Yeah, you're right. As always."

Kristoff dismounted and carefully walked into the clearing, Sven right behind him. However, what he saw was not at all what he was expecting.

Kristoff had seen a lot of stars. The sky was full of them, and in the mountains, away from Arendelle's lights, there were even more. They were small and bright and when they fell they were usually too far away to see were they had landed. Kristoff had expected this star to be much the same- maybe a little bigger than it had looked in the sky, since the stars in the sky were very far away, but something like that. He thought it would be brighter, too, burning like a bonfire- it had been burning when it fell and the stars in the sky burned as well- and he supposed it would be circular in shape. He definitely did not think that he would see… this.

The star was lying in the clearing in the middle of a small crater that Kristoff guessed it had created when it fell. The snow around it was melted away, but the star itself was not on fire. It was blue and white, roughly triangular in shape and waaaaaay bigger than Kristoff had thought it would be. It took up about half the clearing.

"Well, Sven", Kristoff said in shock. "That's… not exactly what I had expected."

Slowly, he approached the star. Now that he got a closer look, he could see that it was obviously man made. Near the back of the 'star' (he wasn't sure what it was anymore) was a big dome of a semi-transparent material, like glass but a lot darker. The bubble appeared to be built into the triangle and was just big enough for a man. In fact, as Kristoff realized with a start, that was indeed the case. Inside the dark bubble was… someone or something man-shaped. He couldn't tell anymore without breaking the bubble, but the figure appeared unmoving.

Kristoff had no idea what the triangular object was, who was the person inside it or how he had ended up there, but he did know one thing: if it was a person, he had to help him.

He touched the bubble. It was not nearly as hot as he had anticipated; in fact, it was only slightly warm to the touch. That only made it easier for him.

Kristoff was more or less sure that he wouldn't succeed to open the glassy dome without breaking it, but he decided to try. To his surprise, the second he touched the side of the dome, something creaked and the dome began to rise, as if on a hinge.

'Must have pressed some sort of button', Kristoff thought. Behind him, Sven grunted in alarm.

"Don't worry, Sven. It's okay. I have to see if the person in this bubble is alive and whether or not he needs help. It's okay; he's not going to hurt us." 'The way it looks right now, it doesn't look like he's gonna hurt anyone. He doesn't look very alive' he added mentally. Still, he had to check.

The dome rose all the way and revealed that under it there was, in fact, a person. He looked to be about Kristoff's age, maybe a bit older, and he was unmoving. Kristoff couldn't tell whether he was breathing or not.

"Alright then. Sven, I'm gonna get this guy out of here."

Sven approached the bubble warily and touched it with his nose, jumping back in case the strange contraption decided to hurt him. When nothing happened he grunted, giving his approval to Kristoff to continue.

Kristoff unbuckled the straps that seemed to hold the guy in place and dragged him out of the bubble. He was heavier than he had expected. Hoisting him up onto his shoulders, Kristoff carried him away from the 'star' and, as gently as possible, deposited him onto the snow. He checked his pulse. It was very weak, but it was still there. 'Great', Kristoff thought. 'What am I gonna do with him now?'

Sven snorted. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm probably going to wait here until the guy wakes up. See if he's okay. I swear, Sven, sometimes it's like you can read my mind", Kristoff replied, and sat down in the snow next to the unconscious man for the wait.

As it turned out, the wait wasn't nearly as long as he had anticipated. Only a few seconds after Kristoff sat down on the snow, he heard a groan coming from next to him. He got up and kneeled next to the man. "Hey, you there, can you hear me?"

Unexpectedly, he got a reply. "Yeah…" The guy opened his eyes, revealing that they were a startling blue. He seemed a bit disoriented, but then, who wouldn't be?

He put his hand to his forehead, as if trying to remember something. "Where am I? Wait, wasn't I flying? Where is my fighter?" As he spoke, his voice got higher and more nervous, until by the time he asked about his 'fighter' (whatever that was), he sounded almost panicked.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down", said Kristoff. Amazingly, the man- no, more like a boy- seemed to listen to him. He took a few deep breaths, then asked in a calm voice: "Where am I?"

"You're a few miles away from Arendelle", Kristoff replied. "Do you remember how you got here?"

The young man pondered this for a second, then muttered: "Echuta!"

"What?" asked Kristoff, confused.

"Those one-eyed egg-sucking sons of slime-devils!"

"That doesn't help."

"I was fighting the seppies. I was winning, too, until that hutt slime crept up on me from behind and shot me down. I tried to enter hyperspace, but the ship was too damaged and I was forced to execute a crash landing on this planet, it being the only one around in a twenty-parsec radius. I suppose I hit my head during the landing, because I don't remember much of it."

"Look, this may come as a complete surprise to you, but this still doesn't help."

The young man seemed aggravated. "What would help? If I gave you a detailed account of the fight that led me to this point?"

"No," Kristoff said, ignoring the satire. "It would help if you told me what a parsec is, why are you talking about ships despite the fact that there is no water around, who are seppies, what do you mean by 'crash landing on this planet' and why you fell from the sky in a giant blue triangle."

The guy sighed. Kristoff thought he heard him mutter "Why do I always land on these force- forsaken planets that have never even heard of space travel?" under his breath, but he couldn't be sure.

Kristoff sighed, too. This was just weird. He had never heard of people falling from the sky in giant burning blue triangles, and he was pretty sure it wasn't natural. To make matters worse, the guy seemed to avoid giving him any answers that would actually make sense.

He was interrupted from his musings by the man, who tapped him lightly on the shoulder and asked: "Could you help me get up?"

"Yeah, sure", he replied, allowing the guy to lean on his shoulder as he struggled to get up. To his amazement, he actually succeeded. The guy looked like he had taken it pretty hard on the head, and Kristoff knew from experience how hard it could be to stand after getting a concussion.

Slowly, the man let go of Kristoff and took a few steps forward. When it became clear that he was completely capable of standing by himself, he turned around and asked Kristoff: "Where did you say I was?"

"A few miles away from Arendelle. It's a rather small town next to Arendelle Castle. The thing is, the whole kingdom is called Arendelle, but it's so small Arendelle town is the only town in it."

"I see." The man stood in place for a while, pondering the information. Kristoff decided to use the time to examine the man.

He looked to be about nineteen years old, with blond hair that was cut short except for a braid that dangled at his right shoulder. He was tall- about as tall as Kristoff himself if not taller- and he was wearing strange dark robes and a black glove on his right hand. He was handsome, Kristoff supposed, even though he was no expert on those sorts of things even he could see that.

"So," Kristoff decided to break the silence first, "Who are you?"

The man looked at him. "I am Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Padawan."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: _So, here's the next chapter. I'm sorry about the long wait. People kept taking my laptop ):_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I'll try to update soon!_

* * *

Anakin had already realized that this planet had never heard of space travel (why did he always have to crash on those ones?), so he guessed they had never heard of Jedi, either. He was expecting the man (boy more like it, he looked about seventeen) to look at him quizzically and ask what the hell a Jedi Padawan was, or maybe just say 'I'm not sure whether you realize it or not, but this still doesn't help.' He was not prepared for the man's jaw to drop nearly to the ground and for his eyes to pop out like he had seen a ghost.

Anakin waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Anybody there?"

That seemed to get his attention, because he replied slightly shakily: "Um, yeah. I'm Kristoff. And this here is Sven. Wait, did you actually say you were a Jedi?"

"I said I'm a Jedi Padawan. Why?"

Kristoff seemed surprised by the question. "Because, well, Jedi are like a legend. People tell stories about them, but no one really thinks they're real. I mean, nobody really thinks Jedi exist."

"Of course we're real! I'm standing right in front of you."

Kristoff looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, well, now I know that." He suddenly looked excited. "Hey, can you show me your light sword?"

"How do you know I have one?" Anakin asked, slightly surprised.

"Well, all the legends say you do. They say the Jedi have swords made purely of light, and they can cut through any material like butter."

"The legends are true", Anakin said, removing his lightsaber from his belt and igniting it, causing a gasp of surprise from Kristoff.

"Tell me, what else do the legends say about us?" asked Anakin, retracting the 'saber.

"Not much, really."

They stood quietly for a moment, Anakin wondering what the hell was he going to do now and Kristoff unsure what to ask someone who had just fallen from the sky in a blue triangle and had turned out to be a living legend. Eventually, Kristoff broke the uncomfortable silence, asking:

"So, what are you going to do now?"

'I was hoping he wouldn't ask that', Anakin thought. Out loud, he said: "I'm not sure. I need to get off this planet but my ship is ruined and I'm guessing your planet doesn't have any of the parts I need. I think my best bet is using the spare parts from my ship to build a transmitter. That might take some time though, and I don't really have anywhere to stay…" he paused as an idea popped into his head. "Hey, how far away did you say this town- Arendal- was?"

"Arendelle. Well, it's a few miles away- about half an hour by reindeer. I was just going there. Why?"

Anakin smiled. He had already started envisioning long days spent camping out in the woods, eating only ration bars while attempting to build a transmitter and waiting for Obi-Wan to come and pick him up, and now none of this would be necessary. It shouldn't be difficult to find a place to stay in Arendelle if people regarded Jedi as legends.

"Would you mind if I came with you?"

"No, of course not." Kristoff shook his head a few times, as if to make it clearer.

"Great. I'll just take a few details from my ship and then I'm ready to go."

"Sure. Take all the time you need."

Anakin nodded and walked over to his fighter- or, rather, to what was left of it. From a quick glance, it looked like it would be impossible to fix without a sonic drill- something Anakin would definitely not be able to find on this planet. Right now, however, he wasn't trying to fix the ship. All he had to do was remove the plating and take out a few parts. That should be easy enough to do with the Force.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the Force flow around him. He felt two bright dots- two living presences on the clearing next to him. One was Kristoff, whose glow was about as bright as that of an ordinary human (though whiter than most). The other dot, however, was a lot brighter. Even stranger, it did not appear to be human.

'Are there any sentients other than humans on this planet?' Anakin thought. The glow from the other dot was indicative of a sentient being, probably a Force- sensitive.

The mystery was solved when Anakin opened his eyes to see Kristoff approaching with a four-legged, antlered creature. "This is Sven, my reindeer. He'll be pulling our sled back to Arendelle" he said.

"I see." Anakin said dubiously. "Are you sure he won't mind pulling the sled?"

Kristoff seemed surprised by the question. "Of course not! It's what he does. Reindeers are supposed to pull sleds."

Anakin still wasn't convinced. "Sven, are you okay with pulling the sled?" he asked the reindeer. Sven snorted.

"That's a yes", Kristoff translated. "How long do you think before you can get the parts you need?"

"I'm almost done", Anakin replied. In reality, he hadn't even started yet, but it would only take a few minutes anyway. No need for Kristoff to know that.

He closed his eyes again and reached for the Force. This time, he set to work straight away, using the Force to pry off a piece of plating from the ship. When that was done, he used the Force to snap a few wires that connected the parts he needed to the ship and floated them out carefully. Not one was damaged.

Only once he was finished with all that did Anakin open his eyes. The first thing that he realized was that Kristoff and Sven were standing behind him, their jaws nearly touching the ground.

"What?" he demanded. Kristoff pulled his jaw up.

"You were floating those thingies", he said lamely. "I didn't know you could do that."

"It's a Jedi thing", Anakin explained. "Now come. I have all the parts I need."

It turned out that the sled was about half a mile away from the clearing where Anakin had landed. They walked there, Kristoff explaining to Anakin about reindeers.

"But they're sentient beings!" Anakin argued. "You make them pull your sleds, isn't that like enslaving them?"

"No, you don't understand. It's their job, just like mine is to cut ice. They get food and a place to live. Besides, not all reindeers are this smart. Sven's just special."

Anakin found he didn't agree with Kristoff on this matter- after all, the reindeer didn't really get to choose what job they wanted- but they were already at the place where Kristoff left his sled, so the argument stopped.

Kristoff put some sort of harness on Sven and motioned for Anakin to get in the sled.

"Hang on! We like to go fast!" Kristoff warned Anakin as he pulled at the reigns.

Anakin laughed. "You kidding me? I love fast!"

Kristoff made a tsk sound at Sven and they set off. After a few seconds they had accelerated to full-speed gallop, sliding over the fresh snow almost effortlessly.

"How's this for fast?" Kristoff shouted over the wind.

"Not bad", Anakin shouted back. The truth was, after racing pods nothing else seemed really fast to him, definitely not a vehicle pulled by a reindeer that was ten times slower than any average speeder, but he didn't want to disappoint Kristoff.

About a few minutes into the ride, Sven slowed down considerably and kept a more even pace for the rest of the ride. Anakin guesses that they had been trying to impress him with the speed of the sled. Figures. He probably would have done the same had he met Kristoff on Coruscant.

Though Kristoff had been trying to persuade him that reindeers were not enslaved, Anakin still wasn't sure. Non-sentient beings could not be Force-sensitive, and Sven definitely was (Anakin toyed with the idea of training Sven with the Force, but Sven the Jedi was such a ridiculous picture that he decided to just leave the matter). Still, it wasn't his place to change things on this planet. If the reindeers decided they weren't happy with their jobs, they could always rebel.

The trip lasted for about half an hour, but Anakin was too lost in thought to notice much of it. Force, was he going to get it from Obi-Wan when he returned. Now that he came to think of it, Obi-Wan had warned him not to attack there, but noooooooo, he just had to prove that he could do it. Maybe next time he would actually listen to Obi-Wan as a change.

His musings were interrupted when Kristoff tapped him on the shoulder. "We're here."

Anakin looked around. They were in what he assumed to be the town square, a paved area surrounded by houses.

"Thanks for the ride", he told Kristoff. "Do you know anywhere I could stay?"

Kristoff thought for a moment. 'Well, I think you should go to the castle. I mean, it's closed to everyone, but you're a Jedi so I think the Princesses would be happy to let you stay in there."

"The Princesses?"

"Yeah, they live in the castle. No one has seen them for the last ten years- not since they closed the castle gates. The King and Queen used to come out sometimes, but people see them less and less every year. Rumour is that Elsa, the older princess, never leaves her room and Anna, her younger sister, stays in the castle because of Elsa. Everyone has different theories why, but most of them are so unrealistic no way they're actually true. I once heard that Elsa had her arms and legs cut off and was left to burn in lava, so now she's scarred for the rest of her life and won't come out and Anna stays inside to support her. I mean, how ridiculous is that? No one even knows what lava is. I'm pretty sure-"

"Wait a second", Anakin interrupted. "If the castle gates are closed and no one ever comes out, how are you suggesting I get in?"

"You're a Jedi. You can jump over the walls or something, no?"

'So he's suggesting I sneak into the castle, ask the princesses to stay on the basis I am a Jedi (something they might not even believe) and hope I don't cause an intergalactic incident? Should I worry about the fact that the idea doesn't seem crazy at all and I'm actually going to go through with it?' Anakin thought. Out loud, he said: "Yes I can. That's a great idea. Where's the castle?'

Kristoff pointed to the right direction. "Just go forward until you reach the bridge."

Anakin smiled. "Thank you. I really appreciate everything you did."

"It wasn't a problem. After all, it's not every day you meet a Jedi."

"Goodbye", Anakin said.

"You too", Kristoff replied.

"And may the Force be with you, Sven."

With that, Anakin turned around and set off in the general direction of the castle.

The castle was very easy to find, due to the fact that it was visible from every point in the village. Climbing over the gates was even easier- Anakin almost didn't have to use the Force, thanks to the many crevices and ridges in the old stone wall.

He jumped off to the other side of the gates, just to find himself facing another door. He used the Force to unlock it- it was nothing very difficult or complicated. The door opened with a slight creak, and Anakin finally entered the castle.

It was rather majestic for the castle of such a small kingdom. The ceiling was high and wooden; the walls were red and had beautiful candle-holders placed every meter or so. However, Anakin's attention wasn't on the interior. It was on the girl on a bike that was riding past him.

It appeared that the girl had noticed him, too, because her eyes popped wide open and she nearly fell off her bike.

"Whoa,whoa there", Anakin said as he caught her with the Force. The girl stared at him. "How did you do that?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Never mind that. I'm looking for the princesses. Can you tell me where to find them?" That probably wasn't the most diplomatic approach but it was the straightforward one, and Anakin liked straightforward.

The girl laughed. "Well, you've found them. I mean, her. I mean, one of them. Anyway, I am Princess Anna of Arendelle. And now can you explain who you are, how you got into the castle and what are you doing here?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: _Here is the next chapter, I'm really sorry about the delay._

 _I decided that I wanted to slightly change the time setting for this story so I had to change the part about the funeral in the previous chapter. It makes more sense that way. For those of you who started reading the story after I changed the chapter, I originally though that Anakin would arrive to Arendelle about a year after Elsa's parents had died, but I decided that it would be better if the news about their deaths would arrive during Anakin's stay at the castle._

 _Also, Anna is so distracted by Anakin because he is like the first man she ever saw and Anna has read way too much about romance and true love without actually experiencing any of it, so her thoughts automatically go that way. She's not going to really fall in love with him though, maybe just have a slight crush._

 _Another thing that I wanted to say was that I drew the cover for this story but for some reason fanfiction won't let me edit it in the online editor so it's a little blurred for now._

* * *

Anna cursed mentally. She had just met the outsider (who, by the way, looked really hot, not that she knew why she noticed) and she had already made a fool of herself. 'Well, you've found them. I mean, her. I mean, one of them.' Could she get more idiotic and awkward than that?

The stranger didn't seem to notice her blunder; that or he concealed it very well, because the only emotion on his face was slight confusion. He looked really cute like that, Anna thought, then mentally slapped herself for letting her thoughts go that way.

"Well, I am Anakin Skywalker and I was actually looking for a place to stay", he said.

"Um, what?" Anna asked, confused. Then it hit her- she had asked him who was he and why he was here. It was his fault she kept being distracted, anyway- she couldn't seem to take her eyes away from his short fuzzy blonde-brown hair, or the way his eyebrows went together when he was confused, or his cute little braid-

"I said, I'm Anakin Skywalker" the stranger repeated, "And I'm looking for a place to stay. I know my request seems strange, but I really have nowhere else to go and I think if you hear me out you will let me stay."

Oops. She did it again. God, why couldn't she focus on the fact that he was a stranger who had broken into the castle and was asking to live here, for god's sake, and not on how gorgeous he looked?

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was the first man her age that she had ever seen.

Regardless, she had to continue as if nothing had happened. The stranger- Anakin- could be dangerous, probably was, seeing how easily he had broken into the castle. The logical thing to do would be to call the guards, but then, since when did Princess Anna of Arendelle do logic?

"Alright", she began, slightly skeptical, "Why don't you tell me why you think we'll let you stay here?"

Anakin looked slightly wary. "Well, I would prefer to tell it to the King and Queen themselves. Could you take me to them?"

Anna frowned. Why didn't anyone think she could be trusted with important things? Every time a messenger came to the castle, she would request he tell her what the message was, and every time the answer was the same: 'I'm sorry, milady, but the orders were to give it to their Majesties themselves'.

"I'm afraid not", she replied coolly. "They are currently off on a voyage and cannot be reached. You could try to tell Princess Elsa, but she is in her room and won't talk to anyone. I mean, anyone. Like, not even me. I think you should tell me why we should let you stay. If it's something important then I'll make sure everyone else knows."

Anakin might have been disappointed- if he was, he hid it just as well as he did his amusement at her blunder. His face was blank as he said:

"Well, the thing is, I'm a Jedi."

At first, Anna wasn't sure she heard right. It took about five seconds for what he said to sink in, and once it did, she was pretty sure she stood there for an indefinite amount of time with her jaw hanging open. She was vaguely aware of Anakin waving his hand in front of her face and she thought she heard him mutter, "If everyone is going to react this way I'm screwed", but she was too far away for his words to reach her.

A Jedi! Everyone knew that the Jedi were a legend. Anakin might as well have said that he was a dragon. But Anakin had entered the castle without opening the gates, and he had somehow caught her without touching her when she had fallen from her bike…

A part of her, the part that wanted to be a little girl and believe in fairytales, wanted to believe him. For Anna, that was the part that made most of the decisions- it was her sister that was the serious, pragmatic one- so she decided that Anakin was indeed a Jedi, a legend come to life, incredible as that may sound. Besides, she got the feeling that he was not lying. Anna trusted her feelings- she didn't have much more to base her judgment of people on- and besides, she wasn't going to throw Anakin out even if he wasn't a Jedi. The castle had plenty of empty rooms, and it wouldn't hurt anyone if he stayed for a few days.

"Hello? Princess Anna?"

Anna suddenly realized that she was standing in one place, a blank look in her eyes for the entire time she was deciding what to do with Anakin. Smooth, real smooth.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just… thinking", she apologized lamely. "The castle has lots of unused rooms, I'm sure no one would mind you staying here for a few days."

Anakin appeared relieved. However, Anna wasn't done yet.

"-as long as Elsa agrees."

"Didn't you say she never leaves her room?" Anakin asked.

"Well, yes, but you can shout at the door or something. She isn't deaf, you know. She's just very good at pretending she is. Come on, let's introduce you to my sister."

Anna turned on her heels and ran towards the stairs, not bothering to check whether Anakin was following her or not. She climbed the stairs, two at a time, and turned right, speeding down the hallway towards the door to Elsa's room. However, she hesitated before knocking at the door.

She had knocked on this door so any times without receiving a reply. The times Elsa did bother to reply, it was always: 'go away, Anna' or 'leave me alone'. Would this time be any different?

She blocked the thoughts out. Yes, it would, because this time she had a very handsome Jedi with her, one who would undoubtedly get Elsa to open the door. She raised her hand and knocked, thrice.

"Elsa?" she asked. As usual, no reply. If she hadn't known better, Anna would have sworn that the room was empty.

Unperturbed, Anna continued: "Elsa, I know you can hear me. There's something really important I have to tell you. You see- well, I think it's better if he tells you himself." Anna looked over her shoulder to ensure that Anakin was still there. "Let me introduce you to Anakin Skywalker."

Still no reply. Elsa must have thought this was just another trick to get her out. It sort of was, but Anakin was real and Anna was sure that the second Elsa heard an unfamiliar male voice she would open the door to see what was really happening.

She whispered quietly to Anakin: "Introduce yourself." Anakin nodded and said in a very formal voice:

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness. I am Anakin Skywalker, and I come to ask for a place to stay."

As Anna had suspected, Elsa could not ignore that. The door did not open, but Anna did get a response:

"Anna, who is Anakin and what is he doing here? No one is allowed to enter the castle. The gates are closed for a reason."

Anna opened her mouth to reply, but Anakin beat her to it: "Ma'am, I apologize for the intrusion, but there was no other way to reach you. "

Elsa's tone seemed slightly amused as she replied: "Well, Anakin, would you care to tell me what was so important that you had to break into the castle to tell me?"

"I don't have any message to you, I am simply in need of lodgings. I thought that because I am a Jedi you might agree to my request."

There was a slight pause as Elsa thought about what Anakin had said. Anna was sure that Elsa was not standing with her mouth open as she had- her sister was always more elegant than her.

After a few seconds, Elsa said: "If you are indeed a Jedi, we will gladly let you stay at the castle. However, how am I to know that you aren't lying?"

If truth be told, Anna hadn't thought that far. She had no idea how they were going to persuade Elsa that Anakin was a Jedi- in fact, he hadn't even proven it to herself- but Anakin seemed to know what to do. He coughed slightly and said: "Ma'am, if you would open the door I could show you my lightsaber and my abilities with the Force."

Elsa seemed slightly hesitant as she replied: "Alright. I will open the door, but Anna has to leave."

Anakin nodded despite the fact that Elsa couldn't see him. "Very well, your highness."

What? Anna couldn't believe her own ears. Her sister was willing to open the door to a complete stranger but wouldn't even let her hear them talk! And Anakin was just as bad, agreeing with Elsa even though if it wasn't for Anna he never would have gotten the chance to talk with Elsa. And why was it that he kept calling Elsa ma'am and your highness but never addressed Anna herself that way? Was it really that obvious who was the important one here?

Anakin turned and looked at her with his blue-grey eyes. "Ma'am", he said, as if reading her thoughts, "I apologize for asking you to leave, but that is the only way your sister will talk to me."

Anna felt her anger dissipate. "Alright", she said. "I'll leave. I understand", even though she didn't. How could she understand why did her sister lock herself away from her if she never told her?

Anna turned around and entered the first room she saw, leaving the hallway. The thought of eavesdropping did cross her mind, but Anakin was a Jedi and they could sense those sorts of things, and right now being caught at eavesdropping was the last thing she wanted.

The last thing she heard before she closed the door was the creak of a door opening and a hissing, humming sound that she had never heard before.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. It means a lot to me. And also helps me publish new chapters faster (:_

 _So here we go, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Elsa stared at the glowing blue sword in front of her. She still couldn't believe it was real. Jedi were a legend- that was what she had been told from the age of five when she had first asked her mother whether the heroic Jedi Knights she had heard about in her bedtime stories were real. To find out that they existed was… shocking, to say the least.

Anakin moved the light- sword slightly, causing it to hum, then turned it off with the same hissing sound it had made when he had turned it on.

"Need more proof?" he asked. Elsa shook her head.

"We would be honored to let you stay", she said formally. "Tell me, is all they say about you in the legends true?"

Anakin smiled. "I don't know. I have never heard the legends, and I would be most curious to do so."

"It would be my pleasure to tell some of them to you", Elsa began, then stopped, realizing something. "But perhaps it would be better if we were on different sides of this door". Jedi or not, she did not want to hurt him.

Anakin held up his hand. "Wait a second."

"No, I must go inside!" she said, agitated.

"I sense fear in you. A fear of… a fear of hurting me," Anakin said. He smiled again. "Ma'am, do not worry. I very highly doubt that you would be able to."

"What do you know of this?" Elsa snapped. In the legends, the Jedi had been able to read minds. Did Anakin have that same ability?

"More than you think. And no, we do not read minds. Emotions, more like it."

'Then how did you know I was thinking about you reading my mind?' Elsa wanted to ask, but decided against it. Anakin thought she could not hurt him, but did he know about her powers- about her curse?

"Tell me, what do you feel when you try to read my emotions?" she asked. Anakin closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.

"Your presence is bright. Very bright, but tainted with fear. It feels different from that of most other people. In fact, I think I have not encountered anyone with a presence like that in my life. Tell me", he suddenly seemed very interested, "do you have any special powers? Perhaps something connected with levitation, and maybe something else- something I can't quite place. Something cold…" he trailed off.

Elsa felt a spark of fear. If he found out about her powers- she didn't even know what would happen. It was a secret until now, from all but her parents. Would he tell anyone? Would he label her a freak? Why did she even care?

'It's going to be alright', she told herself, but didn't quite believe it. The spark of fear she had tried to squash out had grown, until, to her horror, she realized that ice was forming at the edge of her fingertips.

'Please, don't let him notice', she prayed. No such luck.

"Is that ice?" Anakin asked, as if he couldn't see what it was.

Elsa threw her hands up in front of her as she backed towards the door. "Don't touch me. I don't want to hurt you!"

She expected Anakin to gasp, maybe to run off or impale her with his light-sword (after all, the Jedi of the legends did kill witches) but he did none of that. Instead, he gently lowered the weapon to the ground and started to approach her slowly, as if she were a startled animal.

"Don't worry. You won't hurt me. It's okay."

"You don't know that!" she shouted. "Leave, just leave. You are not safe here."

"It's okay. Here, try to shoot some ice at me. You'll see I can block it.'

"No!"

"Come on, let me show you it's fine. Shoot at me."

Elsa didn't know if she willed it to happen or if she just got too scared to control it, but the ice shot out of her fingertips and flew straight at Anakin.

For a terrifying moment it seemed as if the ice would hit him, but Anakin made a subtle movement with his hand and the ice changed direction, disappearing in midair. Elsa gasped.

"How did you do that?" she asked, awe-stricken.

Anakin flashed her a smile. "Jedi."

He bent to pick up his light-sword. "Do you see that I'm safe now?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, I see that." Strangely, now that she was no longer afraid, the ice disappeared from her fingertips.

"Does Anna know of your power?" Anakin asked.

"No, no! She doesn't, and she can't. If she did she would try to help me, and she can't do that. I would hurt her, I already did once, and it cannot be allowed to happen again. That is why I stay inside my room."

Anakin nodded. "I see. I won't tell her, though I don't fully agree. Do you plan on ever telling her or are you going to spend the rest of your life lying to your sister?'

It was a difficult question, and one that Elsa tried to avoid asking herself. She knew the official answer to the question, the one her parents always told her, but she wasn't sure it was true anymore. Still, it was the only one she had to offer Anakin.

"I'm working on controlling it. One day, when there will be no more danger of me slipping and hurting someone, I will tell Anna. Then I can finally leave this room, have a normal life…"

Anakin lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "And have you been successful in your attempts to master your power?"

"Well, not really so far" she admitted. "But I will, I really will," she assured him hurriedly. Anakin seemed unconvinced.

"I'll tell you what," he said after a moment of thought, "Since I'll be staying here for a few days, I can give you a few lessons on control."

Elsa was doubtful. Anakin seemed to sense that, because he added: "I know you just met me, but I am a Jedi. We start learning self- control and discipline when we are nine. I think I could help you."

'It's not like it will do any harm", Elsa thought. "Alright", she said, smiling. "Teach me. Are there any ritual words I must say?" she asked teasingly. Anakin smiled.

"As you wish. Lower yourself on one knee."

Elsa did that.

"Very good. Now, repeat after me: I accept Knight Skywalker as my Master."

"I accept Knight Skywalker as my Master."

"And I take you, Initiate Elsa, as my padawan learner. Rise, Padawan Elsa."

Elsa stood up, laughing. "What now, Anakin?" she asked.

"Uh-uh. Now you must call me master. Master Skywalker, if you are being extra official."

"Whatever you say, Skyguy."

"Cheek! Don't you use that tone with your master."

Elsa bit her tongue, trying not to laugh.

"And now, my insolent young padawan," whatever Anakin- oops, Master Skywalker- had been trying to say, was lost as he and Elsa cracked up and began to laugh so hard it almost hurt.

Their mirth was interrupted when a solemn- looking man dressed in black entered the corridor. Elsa recognized him as Benedict, one of the two people that were allowed to enter her room (The other was a maid named Marie). She attempted to assume a serious look, as if she hadn't been laughing the moment before. A quick glance sideways showed that Anakin was doing much better than her in that respect.

'What is it, Benedict?" she asked, a feeling of dread coiling itself in her stomach. Benedict would not look that serious if nothing had happened.

"Your Highness", he began, "I'm afraid I have something terrible to tell you. "

Oh, no. This couldn't be what she thought it was.

"What is it?" she prompted, anxious to hear it yet at the same time not wanting to know.

"The King and Queen are", Benedict swallowed. "Well, their ship- there was a storm- and…"

"No," Elsa whispered, "No".

"The King and Queen are dead. I am sorry."

Elsa wasn't sure what happened next. She felt so numb, like it wasn't really happening. Her mother and father couldn't be gone. They couldn't!

She was vaguely aware of Anakin dismissing Benedict and leading her back to her room. Only there, once she was sitting on the bed, did the shock of what had happened hit her. She started to cry.

Anakin seemed to know that what she needed right now was to be alone, because he left the room quietly. The only thing he said before he closed the door was "I'm so sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:

 _I reread the last chapter and I realized something: it's terrible. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote it. I'll have to rewrite it._

 _I tried to make this chapter better, but it still feels kind of rushed and OOC and I don't know how to fix it. If you have any advice, please tell me._

 _Also, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed so far. It really means a lot to me, and I'll try to raise the quality of the next chapters._

* * *

Anakin wasn't sure what to do. He knew firsthand how much the death of a parent could hurt (his mother had died less than a year ago, and the pain was still fresh), and he knew that Elsa would probably want to be alone without any strangers bothering her. He also knew that right now was the time when she needed guidance most, the time when he could help her most. If someone had been there when his mother died, perhaps things would have turned out differently…

He shook his head. He had offered to help Elsa with her powers because he was a Jedi- it was his duty to help when he could, and he did have a better knowledge of self-control and discipline than most other people. In fact, he was more or less sure he could give Elsa all the lectures on that topic that the Order had. He had heard them from Obi-Wan enough times to recite them all word-for-word with all the matching gestures. He had made his offer in the heat of the moment, without really thinking much about it, because he didn't have anything else to do and he wanted to repay Elsa somehow for letting him stay. Now, he was starting to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. He was only a padawan, and the most impulsive and head-strong one in the Order at that. It wasn't his place to teach anyone, definitely not someone suffering from the loss of a loved one- not after the way he had reacted after his mother had died. How could he tell Elsa to let her feelings go into the Force and remain calm when he himself had done the exact opposite?

It might not even be his choice anymore, he thought grimly. Maybe he would end up spending the week in the forest after all.

"Excuse me, mister…" Mr. Benedict, the person who had given Elsa the news about her parents, tapped him on the shoulder, unsure how to address him.

"Anakin", Anakin supplied, "And not mister. Just Anakin."

"Alright Anakin, as I'm sure you are very well aware, strangers are not allowed to be inside the castle. I'm guessing you are a special case because her Majesty didn't seem to be opposed to you being in the Castle" (Benedict coughed, doubtlessly remembering Anakin and her Majesty laughing their heads off together in the hallway) " ,but unless her Majesty has given different orders I must escort you outside."

Anakin hesitated. Her Majesty (aka his young and insolent padawan) _had_ given different orders- she had told him that he was allowed to stay for as long as he needed on basis of his being a Jedi. However, he wasn't sure he wanted to reveal that to Benedict and besides, her decision might have changed after hearing the news about her parents.

"Her Majesty has allowed me to stay," he said at last, "but that was before she heard about the shipwreck. To tell the truth, I am not sure what should I do now."

"Perhaps we should ask her Majesty", Benedict suggested. Anakin shook his head.

"She needs to be alone for some time."

"Alright", Benedict agreed. "Tell me, what exactly did her Majesty say to you?"

"She said I was allowed to stay here in the castle for as long as I need because of… personal reasons."

"So why would she change her mind now?"

"If my parents had died, I would not have wanted any strangers in my home for the next couple of weeks," Anakin said, thinking: 'Yeah, if. In my home. As if I even have a home.'

Benedict chuckled. "Her Majesty never leaves her room. I am sure you would not be a nuisance- in fact, if you won't enter her room she won't even know you're here. I was very surprised when I saw her in the hallway today. And as for her sister, if I know Princess Anna, she will not want to be alone at this time. She will want company- company that her sister cannot provide. She will be very glad if you stay for a few days, and even if she decides she doesn't want to see you, we can always give you a room on the other side of the castle where _she_ will not know you're here. That is not a problem."

"Alright" said Anakin rather happily, cheered up by the prospect of sleeping on an actual bed instead of leaves and dirt, "Do I get my own room?"

"Of course", Benedict replied. "I will tell the castle maids to show you to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, Princess Anna did not yet hear of the tragedy. I must go and inform her." With that he walked away. Anakin exhaled and leaned against the wall.

The talk with Benedict had managed to cheer him up a bit, but now that he was left alone his thoughts strayed to his own mother.

Anakin had tried not to think about that night in the Tuskens' village. It was too painful, and if he was totally honest with himself, he was afraid of what he had done. He had slaughtered the entire village, and he had _enjoyed_ it. What did that make him?

'Definitely not someone fit to teach anybody about self-control', he thought grimly, leaning against the wall. 'As a Jedi, I must do my best to help people, but what if here I can only cause harm?'

* * *

Anna could not believe it.

It was not true.

It was not happening.

This was just a nightmare, a bad dream that would soon go away.

But Benedict did not go away, did not disappear in a puff of smoke. He just stood there, as solemn as ever, waiting for her to say something.

She didn't. There was nothing to say.

They stood there like that for a moment, Benedict looking slightly awkward and not sure what to say and Anna too numb with shock to register anything. Her parents could not be dead. They couldn't, because they were her parents, and everyone knows that parents can't just die… right?

Benedict cleared his throat. Anna started at the sound. She had forgotten that he was there.

"I'm sorry for your loss", he said, as if that did anything to help, and turned away, ready to leave.

"Wait," Anna said, surprised by how calm her own voice sounded. "What about Anakin? Is he staying here?"

She didn't know why she had asked about Anakin. She suspected it was because she was trying to keep her mind on something else, trying to postpone the time when the realization that this was real hit home.

Benedict seemed as confused by her question as she was. "Yes, ma'am. Your sister allowed him to stay, and I thought you wouldn't mind. He can stay in the servant's quarters if you wish, someplace where you won't even know he's there."

Anna felt anger rising up in her chest. It was always like that, always her sister that made all the decisions and was the center of attention. Her parents would spend all their time with her, not even noticing that they had a second daughter. Nobody ever bothered to ask her opinion on anything, and her sister would just ignore her when she needed her most, all those years of loneliness in the empty hallways. Even Anakin had somehow realized that she wasn't important seconds after meeting her and had requested to speak with Elsa instead.

And thinking about Anakin, what right did he have to stay in their castle now, after they had just lost both their parents? Did he realize how incredibly insensitive that was? Did he even care? It was his fault, all of it, blasted Jedi, he had been in the castle for less than an hour and he had already caused more grief than they had had in the last ten years. It was all him!

Anna turned on her heel and ran, ignoring Benedict's startled expression. She knew exactly what she had to do- or that was what she told herself. Far easier to lay the blame on a stranger that happened to be around than admit that there was no one at fault- no one but fate. Fate couldn't be that cruel, or what was the point in living?

She found Anakin in the hallway where he had talked with Elsa, leaning against the wall. He looked as if he were contemplating something. New ways to ruin Anna's life, perhaps.

Anna walked right up to him and punched him in the chest. "This is all your fault!" she shouted. "Before you came, everything was all right! Leave!"

Anakin had the nerve to look surprised. Anna couldn't stand it. With a shout, she launched herself at him and began pummeling him with her fists.

"Anna", Anakin said gently, catching her small hands in his gloved ones. Then, when she continued to struggle, louder: "Anna!"

Anna looked up at him. She had not even noticed the tears that were running down her face.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. I really am."

"No, you're not", she sniffed, then suddenly exploded into tears.

Anakin hesitated for a moment, then put his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug, smoothing her hair and whispering that it was okay. It was not okay, but Anna did not protest. All that she knew was that right now something terrible had happened, and she was lost and confused and had no idea what to do. She realized that she felt hurt and betrayed, even more so than when Elsa had chosen to lock herself away from her, and the feelings were aimed not at Anakin but her parents.

How could they do this to her? How could they die and leave her alone like this? Why did they have to leave on that stupid voyage in the first place?

Anna sobbed louder. Anakin patted her back reassuringly, and for some reason the small gesture made her feel better. She had not been held like this since she was a little girl.

With a final sniff, Anna wiggled out of Anakin's embrace and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry", she mumbled, coming to sit next to the wall. Anakin did the same.

"it's okay," he said quietly. "I understand."

"No, you don't!" Anna was suddenly angry again. "Nobody can understand except for Elsa, and she's locked in her room and won't get out!"

"First off," Anakin said patiently, "You didn't even ask her to come out. I have a feeling she will agree to talk to you. And the second thing is that, despite what you may think, I do understand."

Anna was about to say 'no, you don't' again but thought better of it.

"My mother died half a year ago", Anakin said slowly. "I remember the way I felt when I saw her die in my arms."

Anna looked down. "I had no idea", she said, face still wet from tears

Anakin didn't acknowledge her words, continuing as if nothing had been said: "So, unlike what you may think, I do understand. And let me tell you this: you are lucky that you are not alone right now. Go to your sister. I wish I had somebody to go to when I was in your position. Perhaps then I would not have done what I did."

Anna exhaled. "And what did you do?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"It doesn't matter," Anakin said quickly. "The point is, I know how hard this is for you right now, and I won't lie: it will only get worse once the full scale of what happened sinks in. I can feel your sister's grief from the other side of the door. She needs you just as much as you need her."

Anna suspected he was right. She was generally a very cheerful person, and until now she had tried to hide away any negative feelings she had, bury them deep inside her. It was what she had done every time Elsa had shut the door in her face and told her to leave, every time her parents had ignored her and rushed to Elsa's room after a long absence, every time she had passed the gates to the castle and known that she wasn't allowed to leave. Usually it worked, and her naturally bubbly and happy personality helped her forget all about the sad things and focus on the full half of the cup, but this was too big to just bury inside her. She was forced to feel the sadness, the overwhelming grief, and it scared her. She wanted someone to help her, to hug her and tell her that it was okay, that her parents were still alive, but they weren't and it seemed like it would never be okay again. And the more time passed the worse the pain was, because every moment it became more apparent that it wasn't just some cruel, stupid joke.

Her parents were gone. Gone forever. Maybe if Anna had been religious she would have been able to find solace in the fact that they were in heaven now, but she had never been one to just believe what people told her.

"Religion doesn't help", Anakin said sadly. Anna didn't even bother to ask him how he had known what she was thinking. Did it really matter? Did anything matter anymore?

"Can you tell me anything that might help? Something I might share with Elsa as well, some Jedi secret that will somehow make everything okay?" Anna asked, a little bit of hope creeping into her voice.

"Nothing that will really make any difference," Anakin replied, "But I can tell you something. It did not help me, but maybe you will be luckier. It is an old Jedi saying, a mantra, part of the code we live by."

"What is it?"

"There is no death. There is the Force."

"That's it?" Anna demanded, tears threatening to appear again. How was that supposed to help her?

"I know. It's not much, but we must find solace in it. We are given one day to mourn our loved ones, one day to honor their life and move on. One day! And now we don't even have that, what with the war and all. We are expected to see our brothers and sisters die and just continue as if nothing happened! I don't- I can't do that, I need more time to mourn my friends. The others don't understand. Always what's best for the Galaxy, never addressing our own feelings", Anakin said bitterly.

'So even Jedi feel sadness', Anna thought detachedly. 'In the legends they never have any emotions. Or maybe the legends are right and Anakin is just special?'

She sighed. "You're right. People do need time." She got up slowly. "I need to be alone now, but I will take your advice and try and talk to Elsa tomorrow. And, Anakin?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, I rewrote chapter four, so now I think it feels kind of less rushed. This chapter and chapter five have been difficult for me to write since I have never written character death before so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Any comments, tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated!_

 _Also, Disney likes to have a lot of songs and music videos in their movies, but it's kind of weird to write: 'and then she started singing and dancing improvising the lyrics and the melody despite the fact that she didn't know how to do any of those things', so I tried to turn parts of the lyrics into dialogue. It would be nice to know how that worked out._

* * *

Elsa was lying on her bed, staring detachedly at the wall. It was covered with ice, like the floor and the ceiling, and Elsa found herself wondering whether it was really her that had frozen the whole room. She felt tired and numb, robbed of all her energy. Elsa found it hard to believe that only half an hour ago she had been so full of emotion, so grief-stricken, so angry that she could not control the feelings any longer and they had burst out in the shape of the ice…

After she had let her anger out, all that had been left was misery, so she cried and cried until that was gone, too, and there were no more tears left to cry. All that was left now was the wonderful numbness, but she knew that it would not last. The sorrow and the grief would return the second she would be able to feel anything, and next time, she would not be able to let them go through her power. She would have to conceal them, ignore them, because that was the only way to control her power. It was what her parents had always taught her, and doing anything else would be like dishonoring their memory.

To tell the truth, Elsa wasn't sure that she would succeed to control her feelings. Until now, the 'conceal, don't feel' method had worked, more or less, but the feelings had never been so strong before. She had never had an outburst this size before, and she was scared. She had proved once again that she wasn't safe to be around. When Anakin had arrived at their castle, he had given her hope- after all, he was a Jedi, and the legends had always spoken of their remarkable self- control, but now Elsa knew that there was no hope. Not for her. She could not leave her room knowing that anything might set loose her power, hurting innocent people. She was a freak, a monster, and she deserved to be alone. Forever.

The tears began to fall, as if of their own accord, though Elsa had thought that they had all run dry. The only human being she would be able to see ever again was Anakin (her maid and Benedict never actually entered the room when she was there- they knocked before entering, giving her time to hide in the secret room adjacent to hers), who would leave in a few days- and she wasn't even sure he was human. She would never see her parents again; she would not even be present at their funeral. She would definitely never see Anna again…

'No', Elsa realized suddenly, her fingers cold with fear at the realization, 'I will see her. And Benedict, and the maid, and all the rulers of the kingdoms surrounding Arendelle, and all of Arendelle's people. How could I forget? The coronation!'

The thought of putting so many people in danger was, if possible, even more terrifying than spending the rest of her life alone. 'Anakin was right', Elsa thought. 'I do need his help. I can't do this alone. If my power continues to be as dangerous and unpredictable as it was until now, I'll never master it in time for the coronation. Now might not be the ideal time for learning anything- in fact, I couldn't think of a worse time if I wanted to- but Anakin will leave soon, and I can't miss this opportunity. I have to do this. For my parents.'

The thought was far from consoling, but at least it gave her a purpose, and somehow, it was easier to go on knowing what she had to do.

"For my parents", Elsa said, and somehow saying it out loud made it more real.

"It's what they would have wanted".

The next evening Elsa heard a knock at her door. The knocker didn't wait for a response, but rather said in a quiet and sad voice: '"Elsa?"

'It's Anna', Elsa realized belatedly. She didn't reply- what could she say? Anna knew she was here.

"Please, I know you're in there", Anna said pleadingly. "I'm not asking for you to come out, I just want to talk."

Elsa looked at the door, confused. Anna had never asked her to 'just talk' before.

"What do you want to talk about?" Elsa asked, voice slightly hoarse from crying for so long.

"You know what", Ana answered, sounding slightly surprised. After all, Elsa had never answered her before.

"Anna, I'm sorry. I know the way you feel right now, and I'm sorry that I'm not able to be there for you and to hug you until you feel better."

"Do you feel the same way I do?" Anna asked, sadly. Elsa did not hesitate before answering: "Yes."

"Then why won't you come out?" Anna demanded, her voice close to tears. "If you know how hard this is, if it's as hard for you, don't you want to be next to someone who can understand? Don't you want to look in my eyes and know that I really understand? That when I say 'I'm sorry' it's not just words?"

"You have no idea", Elsa said, her voice choked with emotion. "I can't leave this room and I won't, no matter how much I want to."

Anna was crying now. "Elsa, please! You don't have to hide! We need each other, why don't you realize that?"

"No", Elsa whispered, tears standing in her eyes as well. "I'm sorry. I can't."

Anna sighed, a strange sound that was half-sob. "Alright. Tell me, what did you do when you heard about… you know?"

"I was numb, at first. Then I cried and shouted and screamed myself hoarse. After I lost my voice completely, I just lay there and did nothing. I couldn't even cry. Then I thought I felt better, but when I was falling asleep I thought of my parents again and I cried myself to sleep. It's terrible", Elsa replied truthfully. "How can I continue like this? I know my parents wouldn't have wanted me to be sad, but how can I not?"

"I understand the way you feel", Anna said. "I didn't react much better."

"What did you do?"

"I went and tried to beat up Anakin", Anna replied. Elsa chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it.

"Why?" she asked.

"I was angry. Now that I think about it I wasn't really angry at Anakin. None of this is his fault. I was angry at my parents", Anna choked out. "I mean, how could they do this to me? How could they just leave me alone? Why did they have to go on that stupid voyage anyway?

"And what kind of person does it make me that I'm angry at my parents for dying? So now I feel guilty as well, and now I'm angry at myself. I keep thinking that maybe, if I had done something differently, they would still be alive. If I had insisted that they stay in the castle, would that have changed anything? I could have sabotaged the ship so that it wouldn't have left the docks, I could have done something but I didn't. Is it my fault that they're gone?" Anna sobbed.

"No! Of course not! Anna, I did ask them to stay, but they didn't listen. They said that they have to go, that if they don't it would ruin diplomatic relations between Arendelle and the other kingdom. They knew the risks, Anna. It's not your fault, none of this."

"You really think?"

"I know."

Anna was quiet for a moment, wiping at her eyes.

"You know, I never had the best relationship with my parents. They were busy most of the time, and when they weren't they would spend that time talking to you. I was lonely, and they didn't seem to notice. They wouldn't let me leave the castle, either, and I guess I was kind of angry. But now I think that maybe if I had told them how I felt, things would have been different. Now I'll never have the chance to tell them, I'll never have the chance to try and get along better. Why didn't I see what I had before?"

"Anna, I feel that way too. I think of all the things that I might have done with them, all the things that I'll never have the chance to do. And even worse", Elsa was crying now, too, "I feel like I'm alone now. They were always there to help me, but now I'll have to make all the decisions myself. I'll have to be Queen! I can't do this alone, Anna. I just can't!"

"Then let me help," Anna said pleadingly. "I'm right out here for you. Just let me in!"

Elsa wished she could, but she knew it was impossible.

"I'm sorry Anna. I can't."

"Why? Tell me this, at least."

'I can't."

There was a sigh from the other side of the door. Elsa thought that Anna had decided to leave, but then Anna said quietly:

"You know, when I went and tried to beat up Anakin, he said he wasn't angry. He said he understood."

"What did he understand?"

"The way I felt. I said he didn't, because no one can understand. But then he told me that his mother had died half a year ago."

'I didn't even know Jedi had parents', Elsa thought.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she asked.

"Talking to Anakin made me feel better. He knows what I'm feeling right now, he's been there already, and I guess it gave me hope that in time I'll be able to get over it like he did. Anakin told me something, an old Jedi belief: 'there is no death, there is the force'. It didn't really help me yesterday, but I've been thinking about it a lot, and now it kind of makes sense. Maybe there really is no death. At least it's something to think about. It's kind of like my mantra now, something to say over and over when things get too hard to deal with."

"So?"

"My point is that I think you should talk to Anakin. He was the one who told me to come talk with you in the first place, and I'm really glad I listened to him."

Elsa smiled sadly. "I will talk to him." 'I was planning on it anyway'.

When is the funeral?" she asked.

"It- Benedict said he'd settle that. I don't want to think about it right now. Please, promise me you'll be there?"

Elsa felt her heart clench.

"I wish I could…"


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I'm really sorry for the time it took me to update. School started, and there was no time to write, and I had a lot of homework... Anyway, sorry. I'll try to update once a week now that the school year's started, maybe more often of I have a more free time._

 _About this chapter: my sister pointed out that Elsa isn't sad enough for a person who has just lost her parents. Do you think that's true? I did some research on grief and I tried to make Elsa's behavior seem natural, but I'm not sure if it worked. It would make me really happy if you reviewed (: Anyway, on with the story:_

* * *

Anakin was lying on his bed in his new room (which, by the way, was much more comfortable than anything he had slept in in the last two months. Tents, battleships and treetops could not compare), trying to build a transmitter from the parts from his ship he had brought to the Castle. The night before, right after he had gotten his room, he had snuck out of the castle and retrieved the parts from where he had hidden them near the Castle walls.

When he had disassembled his fighter he had been in a hurry, with Sven and Kristoff waiting for him, and he had simply taken the parts that the Force told him he needed as that was the quickest way to decide what he would need to build the transmitter. Anakin had not even bothered to check if the parts that he took were enough- if the Force told him it was what he needed then that was what he needed. Trust in the Force and so on. Now, however, Anakin wasn't so sure that leaving in such a hurry was a good idea.

He turned the linear converter he was holding in his mechanical hand over. The communications system in his ship had been badly damaged, but Anakin knew how to build a new transmitter using a linear converter, some bits of a hyperdrive engine and a few other parts. The linear converter, however, appeared to be badly damaged, and the more Anakin looked at it the more he realized that building a transmitter was going to be near impossible.

'I can't fix the converter with the level of technology here, and I can't build a transmitter with the converter in this state. That leaves only one option: wait until Obi-Wan finds me, which could take forever. Even with the help of the Force, the war would probably be over by the time someone finds me. I can't even imagine how much the other Jedi would tease me about it', Anakin thought grimly. 'Not to mention that, from a certain point of view, it is my fault that I'm stranded here. My master did kind of tell me not to attack those ships because it was a trap, and I did kind of not listen to him. Oh, the lectures he'll give me after he finds me...'

Anakin shook his head, clearing his mind of the thoughts. They would do him no good. Right now all he could do was try and make the best of his situation. Maybe meditation would help. After all, there had to be a reason as to why all the masters did it all the time, even if he didn't see it yet.

Anakin had just sat down cross-legged on the bed to begin his meditation when he heard a knock on the door.

Anakin sighed. "Come in!" he called out to the door. It opened, creaking slightly, and Anakin saw that the visitor was Benedict.

"Mr. Anakin, Her Majesty would like to see you", he said instead of a greeting.

"It's not mister, just Anakin", Anakin said, getting up. "Is she in her room?"

"As always", Benedict replied, then walked away with the air of a person who is far too busy doing important things to be bothered with carrying messages to people.

'Well, I suppose I should be glad. I got an excuse not to meditate', Anakin thought as he walked up the staircase.

The door to Elsa's room was slightly open, indicating that Anakin should come in. He did just that, and was shocked at the sight that met his eyes.

The room was frozen. Everything was white- the floor, the ceiling, even the walls were covered in ice. The only ice-less spot was a small piece of floor next to the bed from which the blast of ice seemed to have come.

"Surprised?" came a quiet voice from the bed.

Anakin started. He had been so engrossed with the walls that he had failed to notice Elsa herself lying on the frozen bed, looking very small and sad.

"A bit", he admitted. "I didn't know you could make ice blasts that big."

Elsa laughed humorlessly. "I didn't know, either. It just went out of control when the fact that my parents… aren't here anymore sank in."

'Don't I know the feeling', Anakin thought. "Is that why you called me here?" he asked.

"Yes. To tell you the truth, Anakin, I'm scared. I can't control my power, and the thought of what would have happened had someone been here, in my room, when my power exploded is terrifying. I can't get it out of my head!"

"Fear is your enemy, Elsa", Anakin said. It was not precisely what Master Yoda had taught him, but the meaning was the same, and this way of explaining it seemed more… right for some reason.

Elsa's expression became thoughtful. "I swear I heard that before somewhere…"

"Must be deja-vu", she decided. "Anakin, I need your help. I want to continue being your student- padawan, whatever- despite the fact that my parents died. Actually, because of the fact that they aren't here anymore. I will have to be Queen, and I can't do that if I'm too scared to leave my room. No one can help me, and I don't think I can do it on my own. Help me, Anakin Skywalker. You're my only hope."

"Are you sure?" Anakin asked. "It will be very difficult to learn to control your emotions, and in your case even more difficult because you have just lost a loved one. I know firsthand how much that hurts, and how difficult it is to release your grief." That was not the real reason Anakin was reluctant to train Elsa, but he couldn't very well tell her the truth. She would never let a monster- a murderer- to stay in her Castle.

"It is the only way", Elsa said sadly. "You were willing to help me before this happened, why change your mind now, when I need your help the most?"

'Because I am the worst person in the entire Galaxy for the job of helping one cope with the death of a parent?' Anakin thought, but didn't say it out loud. Even if he was the worst person for the job, no one else could do it- Elsa wouldn't agree to put another person in danger. Only Anakin had protection against her powers on this planet, and that made him the only person for the job, as well.

"I didn't change my mind", he said. "I simply wanted to warn you that it won't be easy, and it might take a lot of time. The way it's going now, though, it seems like I'll have all of eternity to teach you."

"Why?" Elsa asked, sounding surprised. "I thought you said you were going to help me master my self-control for the few days you were here. That reminds me, you never did say for how long you were planning to stay, or why didn't you have anywhere else to go. In fact, I have no idea why you are in Arendelle in the first place."

Anakin mentally slapped himself. He hadn't told Elsa anything about himself. In fact, the only reason he had given her as to why he should be allowed to stay was that he was a Jedi. It was about time he told her the whole story of how he came to be in Arendelle.

"Well, you see, it all started when a war broke out in the Galaxy…"

About half an hour and a lot of explanations later, Anakin was nearing the finish:

"…And then I climbed the wall s of the Castle because there was no other way to get in. I met your sister who showed me to your room, and then you know what happened."

"So you took some spare ship parts with you to the Castle in order to build a sort of communication device that you could use to contact your Master, but the ship parts are broken so you can't make the device?" Elsa asked.

"Yep. That's about it."

"And are there any other ways you can contact your Master?"

"Not that I can think of. I'm stuck here for- well, for as long as it takes for my Master to find me. That could take forever, all things considered."

Elsa appeared to be contemplating something. "You know, Anakin, I can't help you with this, but I think I know someone who can."

"Help me with what?"

"With your broken ship part, of course."

Anakin was stymied. As far as he knew, this planet had no technology whatsoever, and he had no idea who could fix the part if Anakin himself couldn't do it. Elsa seemed to notice his disbelief, because she laughed quietly.

"They're... friends of mine, one might say. They help anybody who comes before them. My parents…" here Elsa's voice choked slightly, but she continued, "My parents came to them for help when I had an… accident with my powers. I don't know if they can fix your parts, but they can use magic, and if anyone can help you, it's them."

'Well', Anakin thought, 'it can't hurt to try'. He was rather skeptical of Elsa's 'friends', but if they had helped her, maybe they could help him.

To tell the truth, Anakin was very curious as to Elsa's 'accident'. If he had to guess, he would say that she had been confined to her room after and maybe because of it. He wanted to ask Elsa what had happened, but then had he been in her place he probably wouldn't have answered. Not that it mattered- if Elsa really was going to become his student, then he was going to have to learn everything about her past whether she liked it or not. The irony of that thought struck him hard- his master still didn't know all of his secrets, even after ten years of training. His marriage to Padme was only one of the long list of things he had done without his master's knowledge…

"Alright, Elsa", Anakin said. "Where do those friends of yours live?"

Elsa smiled. "We'll go see them tomorrow. I have to make sure that nobody will see me leave my room, and that might take some time to arrange."

"Alright. Can you tell me what to expect when we visit them?"

"Nope. That would ruin the surprise!"

'Great', Anakin thought. 'A surprise. Just great.'

"So, Anakin," Elsa said hesitantly, "Will you train me? Teach me how to control my power?"

'Looks like I have no choice', Anakin said to himself. 'Still, some good may come out of this. Maybe this is the will of the Force or something.'

"I will", he said out loud.

"So am I supposed to call you Master Skywalker now?" Elsa asked.

"Well, that would be nice", Anakin admitted. "But you don't have to. I- I'm not really a Master yet, not even a Knight. I'm just a Padawan." Now that he had thought about it, it probably wasn't the best idea to pretend he was a Knight or Master just for the sake of hearing 'Master Skywalker'. After all, didn't arrogance and pride lead to the Dark side?

"Well, if we're going to do this, we might as well do this the whole way, Master Skywalker".

On the other hand, if Elsa chose to say it herself, it didn't really lead to anything, did it?

"As you wish, Padawan Elsa. We'll start the first lesson tomorrow, after we visit your… friends."

It might have been Anakin's imagination, but it seemed as if Elsa's previously dull and lifeless eyes got a glimmer of hope in them. Yes, maybe he could do some good on this planet after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Elsa woke up in the morning feeling slightly better than she had the previous day. Anakin had promised to help her, and they were going to see the trolls today. They would know what to do. They always did.

She had made the arrangements to keep everyone out of their way yesterday, after Anakin had left. Elsa had made sure that everyone in the Castle was busy somewhere- in the kitchens, the laundry or elsewhere- at the time of their scheduled departure. She wasn't sure when they would return, so sneaking back into the Castle might be a little tricky. Anakin had promised that he would take care of everything, but she wasn't sure she trusted him in that matter. He was, after all, a Jedi, not some sort of invisible ninja.

To tell the truth, Elsa kind of hoped that the trolls wouldn't be able to help Anakin fix the whatever-it-was. Anakin had said that it would take a lot of time to teach her complete control, and if the trolls fixed his thingamajingie he would leave as soon as he contacted his Master, leaving her to deal with her power alone. She knew it was selfish of her, that the people in Anakin's galaxy needed him, but she really didn't want him to leave. She needed him, too, and who said that their wishes were more important than hers?

'I will ask him to stay here for as long as it takes', Elsa thought, and with that in mind she walked over to the string that would ring the bell in Anakin's quarters. It had been installed yesterday, at Elsa's request- she didn't want to have to get Benedict every time she wanted to talk to Anakin.

Elsa was about to pull the string when her glance fell on the picture of her parents that hung on the wall. She stared at it numbly for a second before the realization hit home for the tenth or so time in the last few days:

This portrait was as close as she would ever get to seeing her parents again. They were gone- forever. She would never get to talk to them, or ask them for advice. She was alone now. On her own. Forever.

She wasn't sure when she had started crying, nor how much time had passed until she finished sobbing in Anakin's arms. She hadn't noticed when he had come in, but for some reason, it seemed perfectly natural that Anakin was holding her- she felt calm and secure, like this was the way it should always be. She had only one question.

"Did I ring the bell or did you come by yourself?" Elsa asked, wiping her eyes.

"I came by myself. There was so much sadness emanating from you, I felt like there was something I had to do to help." Anakin looked down at his hands, as if only now noticing that he was hugging her.

"Is it okay that I- well, I don't know how you are with people touching you, but I just thought-"

"Its fine", Elsa said. Then, as an afterthought, "Thank you. It really helps."

Anakin smiled sheepishly. "Well, I did send out some calming waves through the Force. Is that okay, too?"

"It's more than okay. It's really, really good. I haven't felt this peaceful since I heard the news."

"I can do it again if it helps", Anakin offered.

"I really wish, but no thanks. I have to learn to deal with this by myself."

"You remind me of a certain someone. She always insists that she deal with everything on her own as well…" Anakin trailed off for a second, then smiled as if something were very amusing. "As you wish, Milady. No more cheating through the Force. Are you ready to leave to see those friends of yours? Because I have the linear converter here with me, and I'd like to see it fixed as soon as possible."

Elsa smiled, despite herself. "Yes. Are you?"

"Always."

"Then what are we waiting for?" And with that, Elsa walked out of her room for the second time in the last week. She could only hope that this time would be less depressing.

It was very easy to get out of the Castle without anyone noticing them- Elsa had done a good job of keeping everyone out of their way. The already saddled horses were waiting for them at the gates of the outer wall of the Castle, as Elsa had planned. The gates themselves were open- Elsa had asked Benedict to open them without anyone noticing and creating a big fuss. It was only possible to open the gates from the inside, and to tell the truth, Elsa had no idea how to. She knew it involved a lever of some kind and a complicated pulley system, but there her knowledge of the gate's mechanism ended.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" she asked Anakin, though she probably should have been asking herself. Elsa hadn't been on a horse for a long, long time, but she was relatively sure that she still knew how to do it.

"I've never tried it before", Anakin replied. "Shouldn't be that difficult."

Elsa wanted to tell him that it wasn't as easy as it looked like but stopped herself. He was a Jedi. He could deal with this himself.

Anakin walked over to one of the horses and put a hand on its muzzle. At first, the horse was skittish and nervous, but Anakin said something to it in a low voice and the horse instantly calmed down.

"Are you sure that you've never worked with horses before? It looked like you knew what you were doing", Elsa asked, climbing onto her horse.

"This is the first time in my life I've ever seen one," Anakin replied, mounting his own horse, "But I have worked with other animals before. Besides, calming Force techniques work on anyone and anything".

"Cheater!" Elsa laughed.

"I'm sorry, Milady," Anakin said gravely. "It won't happen again."

"It better not", Elsa harrumphed and gave her horse a small nudge with her heel. The animal obediently set forward at a slow trot. 'I think I'm beginning to remember how this works', Elsa thought.

Suddenly, she heard hoof beats behind her, and before she could react Anakin sped past her on his horse already at full gallop. 'How did he get his horse to run so quickly?' flashed a thought in Elsa's head, but she was too busy getting her own horse to move faster to waste time wondering about it. Nobody who was on a horse for the first time in his life was going to beat her in a race, Jedi or not.

Before she had been confined to her room, Elsa had used to love horses and all things equine- related. She had been quite good at racing- probably better than an eight-year-old should be. While she was in her room (prison, more like it), Elsa would sometimes sneak out and ride the horses they had in the stables. She suspected that her parents knew what she was doing, but turned a blind eye. After all, no one could be cooped up in one place for so long.

As she grew up, the visits to the stables became less and less frequent, and eventually stopped about four years after the beginning of her confinement. However, Elsa was confident that she still had what it took to race.

"Come on, horse!" Elsa shouted, spurring her horse forwards. There was a time when she had remembered all the horses' names. Not anymore.

The nameless horse snorted, then set off at a medium trot. "This will not do if we are to catch that stuck-up son of a- "(here Elsa caught herself, realizing that she was, after all, a princess, and princesses don't use words like that). "Come on, horse, you can do better!"

The horse reluctantly sped up to a gallop. Elsa spurred it more and more, until the horse was finally running as fast as it could on the narrow, snow-covered trail they had turned onto from the paved road that led from the Castle.

Finally, Elsa was able to catch a glimpse of Anakin through the trees. "Aha!" she shouted. "Gotcha!" But Anakin was proving harder than that to catch. He led her on a chase through the trees, always a few meters ahead, as if teasing her. This continued for about ten minutes, at the end of which time Elsa was forced to admit defeat.

"Fine!" she yelled at Anakin's back. "I submit! You win the race!"

Elsa couldn't see Anakin's face, but she could have sworn he was smiling as he slowed down his horse. She was smiling as well. It had been a long time since she had raced with anyone, far too long.

They rode for a few minutes in silence, side by side. Elsa was glad, as it gave her a chance to catch her breath. A quick glance in Anakin's direction assured her that he didn't need to catch anything. He looked as perfect as always, not a hair out of place. Of course, there was no real way for his hair to be out of place- it was too short, but still, Elsa couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Her own hair was probably such a mess she didn't even want to know what it looked like.

Eventually, they reached the clearing that Elsa remembered so well. Nothing seemed to have changed- it was still the same half- ruined amphitheater, still the same rocks lying around in seemingly random positions. The only thing that changed was that now the rocks were covered in snow instead of grass.

Elsa got off her horse and motioned for Anakin to do the same. She then tied the horses to one of the trees and went into the clearing, Anakin following her.

It was all just like last time- the rocks began to shake, rolled towards them, and suddenly unrolled into small trolls.

Elsa had expected some sort of reaction- most people wouldn't remain calm while around them, rocks turned into small people? Creatures? Whatever, but Anakin didn't seem to be surprised. His only response was so quiet Elsa might have imagined it- "So many little boulder Master Yodas!" Than Anakin appeared to catch himself and simply stood next to Elsa as the trolls looked at them, waiting.

There was a slight shuffle in the back, and Elsa saw that the trolls were making way for their king. He was wearing the same cape he had last time, and looked exactly as he had all those years ago.

"So", The old troll said in a deep voice, "What have we here?"


	9. Chapter 9

Anakin was shocked to say the least. Elsa's friends looked exactly like Master Yoda- had he been made of rocks, with tufts of grass, mushrooms and crystals and, in some cases, female. Even stranger, they had just unrolled from regular-looking boulders. Whatever sort of magic this was, he had never seen anything like it before.

He bowed to the oldest troll in the cape who had just spoken. "Master."

Elsa looked at him in surprise, though Anakin didn't know why. It was a perfectly normal way to greet someone so old and wise.

The troll glanced at Anakin and Elsa quizzically, then nodded once to himself and motioned for the rest of the trolls to come forwards. Then he retreated back into the crowd, muttering: "Nobody in danger of freezing this time, and it's been a long time since we've had some fun".

The rest of the trolls looked at each other and smiled. A troll woman walked out of the crowd and said happily: "Well, it's been a long time since we've had visitors from outside. It's almost like people have forgotten about the other side of our expertise!"

"Expertise?" Anakin asked, thoroughly confused.

"Well, it doesn't matter." The troll woman said with a smile. "What are your names?"

"Anakin and Elsa."

The woman turned to the other trolls: "Finally! A pair!"

The other trolls cheered loudly and, before Anakin could understand what was happening, he was being rolled on a sea of trolls towards the center of the clearing. If not for is years-long acquaintance with Master Yoda he would have tried to escape, but as it was, he was used to certain peculiarities that wise and old beings tended to accumulate over the years.

From then on it only got weirder. The trolls started singing to music that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, thought Anakin didn't understand the words- they were too unclear and fast. He picked up a few words that sounded like 'love' and 'perfect', but he couldn't be sure.

From the corner of his eye he saw Elsa being rolled around much like he was, but he didn't have time to look at what was happening to her because a troll appeared at his eyelevel- at a further inspection Anakin saw that he was standing on three other trolls.

"She's a good girl, Elsa", the troll said. "She has a few issues, but then, it looks like you have some of the same problems. You can help fix each other!"

"Wait. What?" Anakin asked. Then, once he realized what the troll had said: "And how do you know what my problems are?"

"Well, that's our job, isn't it?"

"What's your job?"

"Never mind that. You two are great for each other!" With that the troll rolled off his three companions and walked away.

"Wait! Anakin shouted at the troll, but he was already part of the crowd, undiscernible from his fellow trolls. Anakin tried to find him, but the trolls started tossing him around, their crystals shining in the sun, dancing and forming heart shapes around him. Anakin reached a definite conclusion- this was weird.

A few trolls left the group, and Anakin noticed that they were digging a hole in the ground. He decided it would be hopeless to try and ask what it was for, so he just suffered in silence as the other trolls ran around, throwing pine needles on him and Elsa and singing all the while.

After a few moments, the trolls appeared to be finished digging the hole (they had to be the fastest diggers Anakin had ever seen), had built an arch over the hole and had thrown him and Elsa inside, along with a generous amount of pine needles. Anakin saw that the trolls had formed circles around their pit and were singing and dancing in a perfectly choreographed way. He could only wonder if this was something they did to everyone, or if the song and dance had been invented on the spot just for them. If the trolls were improvising then they were damn good at it.

The trolls sang one final word, loudly and clearly: "Love!" Then the music ended and a young troll with a book in hands went to stand in front of the pit. He cleared his throat and began:

"Do you, Anakin, take Elsa to be your trollfully wedded wife?"

"Wait. What?" Anakin and Elsa asked at the same time.

The troll looked at them like they were a pair of imbeciles. "You're getting married."

"I can't marry her!" Anakin screeched.

"Why not? She's a perfectly good girl. You would be a match made in heaven!" A troll responded enthusiastically.

"Because I'm a Jedi! I can't marry anyone! It's forbidden!" 'Not like that ever stopped me, but I can't exactly tell them and Elsa that'.

That seemed to stop the trolls, because they climbed off each other and went to huddle in a circle, talking with hushed voices. Anakin breathed with relief, but it was not over yet. The trolls returned back to Anakin and Elsa.

"The wedding is to continue as planned!" one of them announced. "Rules cannot stop true love!"

'Look, I'm glad you guys think so because that was the exact same thing I told myself when I married Padme, but this is different', Anakin thought. He wasn't sure what to say to make the crazed trolls stop with the marriage, but then Elsa spoke up, and it turned out to be rather simple:

"I don't love him", she said loudly. "I don't want to marry him."

The trolls all gasped loudly. "But you would be perfect for each other!" one of them said. "Why did you come here if you don't love each other, anyway?" asked another.

"Well, I was about to tell you, but you kind of didn't give me a chance with all the singing and dancing", Anakin grumbled. He still couldn't believe that the trolls were going to marry him and Elsa without asking their opinion first.

"Sorry. So, what is it that you need?" a troll asked.

"So you're not going to marry us?" Anakin asked warily.

"I don't know why you would refuse to get married, but we will respect your wishes. Until a certain point. You would make a great pair, though. Not perfect compatibility but much better than most…" the troll trailed off dreamily.

"I came here to see if you could fix something of mine", Anakin said. "Can you help me?"

The trolls sighed in disappointment. "And we thought people have finally remembered our initial purpose," a female troll lamented.

"About that- what do you mean by your 'initial purpose' and 'other side of your expertise'?"

The trolls sighed again. "We'll just let Grandpabbie explain," they chorused.

Right on cue, the old troll in the cape Anakin had first spoken to rolled out of the crowd. "So you want explanations?" he asked.

Elsa, who had been standing quietly next to Anakin, spoke up: "Yes. Very much. The book from where my father found out about you had nothing about trolls conducting marriages. It said that you give advice to those in need and help any who come before you with your magic, not toss them around and throw them into freshly dug holes."

Grandpabbie didn't look particularly sorry when he said: "I apologize for our eccentrics. It's just that it's been so long since someone came here as a pair… What you said about your book having no information on our main purpose only strengthens our belief that people have forgotten all about what we do."

"And what would that be?" Anakin interrupted impatiently.

"We are first and foremost love experts. We can tell two people whether they are fit to be together or not. You two have very good compatibility, so when you came here we assumed you wanted our blessing to get married. People used to do that a lot a few decades ago. Now, however, almost nobody comes here, and when they do, it's always for a cure from some magical curse or other.

"You see, magic is mostly based on love- that is why in the fairytales, the princess is so often woken up by a kiss from her true love. True love is more powerful than anything else, and so I, as a true love expert, also possess knowledge on magic of all kinds. I have a few other powers, but most of them are based around love. Humans, however, seem to have forgotten that and come to us for advice on everything but the matters of the heart. You understand our excitement when we thought that someone had come to us to get our approval for marriage."

"If you are really love experts, couldn't you tell that we are not in love?" Anakin asked dubiously.

The old troll's eyes glittered as he answered, suggesting that he might be slightly amused: "Yes, but in order to tell whether you are in love or not we would have to look more deeply- it requires more effort. At a first glance we could only see that you would make a good match. Besides, we would not get to do our dance-song routine if we had checked first."

Anakin had to remind himself that it would not do to offend the troll before they got what they needed before speaking: "So, can you really use magic?"

Elsa answered before the troll could: "Yes, they can. I saw it myself ten years ago. Grandpabbie removed my sister's memories of us playing with my powers and changed them to memories of us playing outside with the snow. It was necessary to keep my power secret and Anna safe."

Anakin felt his respect for the troll increase tenfold. It was immensely difficult to erase memories that were older than a few hours, and to simply change the memories without deleting them was a feat that none of the Jedi of the Order could achieve (with the possible exception of Master Yoda).

Elsa's words supported his theory that she and Anna had been very close before the accident that had caused her confinement to her room. There had been a blank space in his reasoning as to how Elsa had managed to keep her power secret when she was only eight, but now it had been filled in: she hadn't. Pabbie had simply erased- no, changed- Anna's memories.

Anakin cleared his throat. "So, as I've said before, the reason I came here is because I need help in fixing something. Can you help me?"

"I think there is more to your request than you say", Pabbie responded. "Show me the thing that is broken and I will see what I can do."

Anakin took the linear converter out of his belt. It was about the size of his fist, and it was possibly the most important part he would need to build a long-distance transmitter. If Pabbie couldn't fix it, his chances of leaving the planet were almost nonexistent.

He handed the device to Pabbie, who took it carefully and held it up to the light, examining it. After a few moments he said: "This is not something from this world. And neither, I think, are you. What is your story?"

Anakin opened his mouth to explain, but Pabbie held up a hand, stalling him. "It will be faster if I hear it straight from your mind. May I?"

Anakin wasn't sure he liked the thought of letting someone into his head, but if it helped Pabbie fix his converter then he wasn't going to object. He lowered his mental shields, preparing.

A few seconds later he felt a presence enter his mind, old and wise beyond measure. The Force signature felt strange, different from those he had encountered before, but purely light, reassuring Anakin. The troll meant him no harm, that he was sure of.

The presence moved to his recent memories, sifting through them quickly. After a few moments it knew all about Anakin's crash and had moved on, going not to any more memories but to his own presence.

It asked him wordlessly about the Clone War and the Jedi's part in them. Anakin answered, surprised. He had not known that it was possible to converse telepathically- only sense general emotions and feelings. Maybe this was something that only the trolls could do, or maybe it was something about the Force that his Master had not yet seen fit to tell him. If so, they would have to tell him after he was Knighted, right?

Pabbie withdrew from Anakin's head and Anakin snapped his shields back into place. "So?" he asked hopefully. "Can you fix my converter?"

Pabbie looked at the piece he was still holding in his hand, and Anakin could feel him scanning it with something slightly different from the Force. After he had finished the troll replied: "Yes, but I will be forced to wait until spring before I can fix it."

"Why?" Anakin asked.

"Because spring is when our power is greatest- when all life is reborn and love is in the air."

"But isn't there any way to do this faster?" Anakin pleaded.

"I'm afraid not," the troll replied. Then, upon seeing Anakin's dejected look, added: "The war can wait for a few months. You will get tired of it before long, I can assure you."

Anakin sighed and bent down to take his converter from Pabbie. The troll was right, of course, but Anakin still felt guilty not doing anything while his fellow Jedi and his Master fought in a war for their lives and for the lives of all the citizens of the Republic.

"Thank you very much for your help, Master." Anakin bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait, Anakin," Pabbie said. Anakin turned towards him, waiting for what he had to say. Experience told him that the most important and unclear thing was usually said at the end. This time did not disappoint.

"You must let go of your past. If you do not succeed, I fear the entire galaxy will pay for your failure. And one more thing: whether you are, indeed, the Chosen One or not, only time will tell. Pay no heed to those who would expect too much of you only because of your title. Your choices are your own, always remember that."

"What does this mean?" Anakin asked heatedly. "Did you see my future?"

"I cannot say. Just remember, your choices are your own," the troll repeated. "Now go. Come back in the first month of spring, and I will fix your mechanism. Goodbye, Elsa. Goodbye, Skywalker."

Anakin didn't press the troll for any more information- he knew it was useless. He simply bowed to Pabbie and left the clearing, Elsa walking after him.

There was a slight scuffle behind them, and when Anakin looked back, the clearing was empty save for the large round rocks that lay scattered everywhere. Their visit with the trolls was over.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: _Here is the next chapter. I'm sorry that it's so late, it was just very difficult to write and I'm still not sure I got it the way I want it. Reviews are, as always, welcome- any comments or suggestions are very appreciated._

* * *

Elsa was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep and failing. This was due in part to her excitement- after leaving the trolls, Anakin had said that there was a lot he had to think about, so her training would start tomorrow - but not only. There was simply too much going on in her head.

The trolls had announced that they would have to wait at least a month before fixing Anakin's whatever-it-was. That was good, as it ensured that Anakin would have time to train her- one thing off her worry list. That still left plenty.

Elsa didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid, despite what Pabbie had said about fear being her enemy. She was afraid that she would not succeed to control her power even with Anakin's help. Anakin hadn't actually promised that by the time he was done teaching her she would have absolute control over her power. He had said that he would help her and that it wouldn't be easy, but had made no promise as to the result. Even more, he had seemed rather hesitant before agreeing to help her. Was it because he doubted her ability to learn? What if she would never learn control?

Elsa tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. Anakin was a Jedi. If he couldn't do it, no one could.

'That's exactly the problem', a small voice in her head said. 'He's your only chance'. Elsa ignored it. She might not succeed, but she sure as hell (excuse the vulgar word) was going to try.

With that temporarily out of her mind, she could focus on the other things that were dancing around the edges of her mind, refusing to leave her alone.

The trolls had tried to marry her and Anakin. That of itself was strange, but what was even stranger was her reaction to it.

When Elsa had told the trolls that she didn't love Anakin it had felt strangely wrong. Elsa knew that it was foolishness to think that she had fallen in love with Anakin after only a few days of knowing him, but she couldn't shake the feeling off. Maybe it was because the trolls had said that they would be a good match, and she couldn't see the trolls being wrong about anything. Especially if it was within their field of expertise, which, as they had said themselves, was matters of the heart.

Still, it didn't really matter whether the trolls were right or wrong about her and Anakin being good for each other. Anakin was a Jedi and so not allowed to have relationships (as he had tried to tell the trolls), and even if he would be willing to break the rules, he would leave in a month. There could never be anything between them, and Elsa, always the logical person, understood that completely. She had always thought with her head, unlike Anna, who preferred to let her heart make all the important decisions. That was that, and there would be no more thoughts of Anakin in a romantic context. Not that she had ever had those kinds of thoughts, but still. Just in case. If the trolls were right. Which didn't matter anyway. End of story.

There was something else that troubled Elsa in relation to Anakin and the Trolls. Before they had left, Grandpabbie had told Anakin something about him possibly being the Chosen One. Elsa knew that the most important thing was usually said last, but try as she would, she could not make sense of what the old troll had said. There was something about Anakin having to let go of his past, and the entire Galaxy paying the price if he failed, but Elsa couldn't understand what it meant. She supposed that it would only make sense to Anakin, and resolved to ask him what the troll had meant sometime later.

There was one good thing to all of the thoughts that were muddling around in her head- there wasn't any space left for grief over her parents. Elsa felt relief at that fact, then guilt. If it made her happy that she didn't feel the hurt over her parents' demise (the words were still hard to say, even in her mind), did that make her a bad person? She should feel the pain and the sadness, not try to hide from it. It was the least her parents deserved, and if she didn't feel it she would be dishonoring their memory.

She couldn't focus on those thoughts for long, because the weariness of the day finally caught up with her and she felt herself falling asleep. Her last thought was that she would have to face them, eventually. Not now though…

Anakin woke up early in the morning, feeling no better than he had the day before. What the kriff did Grandpabbie mean by facing his past? Why would the Galaxy pay if he failed? And what was it that he knew about the prophecy of the Chosen One?

A few months after becoming Obi-Wan's padawan, after he had understood what the prophecy was about, Anakin had decided that he wasn't the Chosen One, or, rather, that he wasn't going to believe that he was until he got proof. Sure, it felt nice sometimes to indulge himself and pretend that he was special and unique, but there was a price to being special that was far more than the benefits. All those Jedi looking at him, judging, expecting more of him than of any other Youngling despite the fact that they had had years of training and he had been a slave boy only last year. They never said it, but he could see the look in their eyes when they thought: 'this is the legendary Chosen One? He doesn't look like much…'

After deciding for himself that the prophecy was a myth life became slightly easier. Anakin didn't feel the need to prove himself so strongly anymore, though he was under a lot more pressure than the other Padawans. Now, Anakin had all but forgotten about the stupid prophecy, and Grandpabbie had to bring it up again? Would the prophecy keep chasing him everywhere he went?

However, the prophecy hadn't been the most disturbing thing Pabbie had mentioned. That title would go to the 'the Galaxy will pay for your mistakes' part. Anakin didn't want anyone paying for anything he did, but he had a feeling that Pabbie wouldn't have mentioned it like that if it was possible to avoid. After all, whenever a prediction ended with a 'I fear that ….', it was safe to assume that the predictor's fears would come true. The main rule of prophecies, as Anakin would have put it: 'the worst will always happen, because life sucks.'

Anakin was deeply troubled by Pabbie's words, but he knew that it would not be wise to dwell on them. Another rule of interpreting prophecies: 'they are largely useless, because if you try to change the future you see, you will probably end up causing it yourself. Again, life sucks.' Instead of trying to puzzle out what the old troll had meant (why couldn't someone speak clearly, for once?), it would be better to focus on the lesson he would have with Elsa today.

He had planned it out the night before, but it was always useful to double check yourself. Not that Anakin usually double-checked anything, but there had to be a first time for everything.

Anakin got out of bed and went over to his table to check the notes he had written last night. After making sure that everything was clear, he moved the chair and table out of the way to clear the center of the room and started with his daily saber practice. It was relaxing- most of the saber practice he got nowadays was on the battlefield, and while that had a certain thrill to it, it was nowhere as calming as this.

As he flowed through the exercises, he let himself become one with the force until he could feel every living presence in the castle; including one who was approaching his room. Thus, it was no great surprise when there was a knock on the door and Elsa's voice asked: "Anakin? May I come in?"

Anakin stopped in the middle of the Kata he was doing and replied, "Yes, of course."

The door opened with a slight creak and Elsa walked in, looking like she had gotten a good night's sleep. 'At least one of us did', Anakin thought.

"Did you want anything?" he asked, clipping his lightsaber back to his belt.

"Well," Elsa began, "I was thinking that we could start with the training right now. No time to waste."

"Just give me a second to finish the katas. You can watch if you like."

"I will, thank you."

She did, and for a moment Anakin felt slightly self-conscious of her watching him, but the feeling quickly faded into the Force.

After a few minutes he had completed the katas, not even slightly out of breath, and bowed: "At your service, milady."

"Wow!" was Elsa's eloquent reply. "That was so… I don't have the words. Beautiful. Smooth. Will you teach me how to do that too?"

He laughed. "I'm afraid not. It would take too much time, and there are far more important things I need to teach you."

She nodded, disappointment rolling off her in waves in the Force yet her expression unruffled. "I understand."

"Good. Now, Padawan, we will begin the lesson. Sit down." Anakin said, the words strange on his tongue.

Elsa obeyed, looking slightly confused.

"Close your eyes, and take a deep breath. I am going to- for lack of a better word- scan you with the Force. I have to see where your power comes from. Okay?"

"Okay."

He closed his eyes, too, and stretched out with the Force, towards Elsa's presence. It shone like a beacon in the Force, indicating a strong Force presence, but it was different from those of other Force sensitives. If they were golden lights, she was a blue one.

However, that was not the only difference. The other Force presences Anakin had seen were focused outwards, shining brightly all around them. Elsa's, however, seemed to be closed off, almost as if she were shielding. He probed it gently. There was no response. It was as if Elsa had tried to cut herself off of her power, but had not fully succeeded.

He tried to scan her, as he had said he would. The results were very strange- Anakin could only compare the scan to his Master's, as he had not had reason to scan anyone else, but it seemed as though Elsa's presence was connected to a different place than Obi-Wan's. Her power seemed to be emotion- based, which would explain the outbursts, but didn't offer any good way to control the power. It seemed that, aside from teaching Elsa how to release her emotions into the Force, there wasn't that much Anakin could do. Maybe the best way to do this would be to have Elsa practice her power with him there to make sure it was safe.

"Alright," Anakin said, "Open your eyes."

Elsa did. "What did you find?" she asked.

"Where to begin," Anakin said, and he knew it was true. "We start right now. Are you ready?"

"I'm- yes. I am," Elsa said, but Anakin could feel her lack of confidence- in herself or in his teaching skills, he was not sure.

"Elsa, it's going to be fine. You don't have to be worried. We'll just start slow, okay?"

She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yes. I'm fine."

"Great. Now, try and calm yourself completely. I'll help through the Fore."

His Padawan breathed in and out, slowly, and gradually he felt her fear disappear. Curious as to what she had done to calm herself so quickly, Anakin probed her Force presence. He did not like what he saw.

"Elsa, what are you doing?"

Elsa looked at him in confusion: "What you told me to do. I'm calming myself."

"No, you're not. You're taking all of your anxiety and stuffing it deep into your mind, like into a storage compartment."

"Storage compartment?"

"Never mind. The point is, you're building a wall around the emotions instead of releasing them. Ignoring and concealing them instead of actually calming yourself, like you're going deal with them later. Only you don't "

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Not at all, Padawan."

"But my parents always told me to conceal, don't feel. I-"

"Elsa, what you're doing is a temporary solution. Eventually, you will have no space left for any more emotions and all of the things that you stuffed in there will burst out, so to say. Trust me- you do not want that."

Elsa hesitated, then said: "But what we're talking about is metaphorical. How can the space end if it's all in my mind?"

"I have two things to say to that: the first, it's not exactly metaphorical. It's the way I see it through the Force, and the way you will see it, as well, once we're done. Eventually, your emotions will become too much to hide or too strong to control, and it will result in an outburst that will only be bigger the longer you delay it. That's what I mean when I say 'the space will end'. And the second is that if you agree to me training you, that means you will listen to what I say and not question anything, even if it seems useless or strange. You'll have to trust me, okay? If I am to be your Master then you have to do what I tell you to, because I know what I'm doing and otherwise we might as well not do this at all. Agreed?"

This time the pause was longer: "Yes, Master."

"Good. Any more questions?"

Anakin didn't really like to do this to Elsa (well okay, maybe it did feel slightly nice to be the one doing the training for once), but if he hadn't made sure that she was clear on the matter they couldn't continue. The whole idea was that Elsa had to trust Anakin to train her the way he saw fit. If she kept questioning everything he said and offering her opinion on everything this would never work.

"How should I calm myself then?" Elsa asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

The truth was that Anakin wasn't a hundred percent sure. He had planned on teaching her to access the Force and to release her feelings into it, but it was clear that that would have to wait- Anakin hadn't counted on Elsa having so many negative emotions bottled up inside her. If she touched the Force with all that fear this it would make her extremely vulnerable to the dark side, and the first lesson every Youngling learned was don't mess with the dark side.

"How about you tell me what exactly is troubling you at the moment," he found himself saying, then immediately wondering where the words had come from. Talking about your emotions wasn't exactly the Jedi way to deal with them. Then again, Elsa wasn't exactly a Jedi either, and talking couldn't really hurt.

Elsa took in a deep breath. "What should I talk about?" she asked.

"Anything. Everything. Tell me what you're feeling, and maybe you'll feel better at the end." At the very least, he would understand her better and hopefully know what to do next.

"Alright. Well, I'm not exactly sure where to begin, I've never really talked about any of this before…"

Anakin waited patiently while she collected her thoughts and continued.

"I'm- the truth is I'm rather afraid. My parents taught me how to conceal my powers, but I could never really control them. At first I thought that maybe with time I would succeed, but... I was wrong. My power, my curse, it's growing stronger and I can control it less and less. Now, my parents are gone, and I am alone to deal with all this. I have no idea what to do. You are my only hope.

"It scares me- I've only known you for a few days, yet I must trust you to help me and teach me in a few months what my parents could not in a few years. I don't have any other options, and I keep thinking: what if this won't work? What if the day of my coronation comes and I still have no idea how to control the ice? I can't put all those people in danger like that, but I don't really have a choice.

"I remember how my sister and I used to have so much fun playing with my power, how close we were. Then, everything changed, and now I can't understand how I could ever have put her at risk like that. It used to feel terrible when she would knock on my door and try to get me to come out. With time, it became easier to say no, but sometimes I worry that she feels like I don't care about her when I'm doing all this to protect her.

"And my parents. They're not here anymore, and right now I'm trying to keep busy and not think about it. It's hard, but I manage- what with you and everything, but Anna doesn't have anyone to talk to. I can only imagine what it feels like for her now, and it's terrible that I can't do anything."

Elsa paused. Anakin chose that moment to speak:

"Elsa, you can talk to Anna. I can be there if you like, or you could have a door between you. It doesn't have to be like this. And about your coronation," he smiled, "Have you ever though that you could simply abdicate?"

"I- what do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"You think that if you don't succeed to control your power, you'll be forced to put a lot of people at risk during the crowning ceremony and in your time as monarch. But there is another option- if you see that it's too much for you and that it's too risky, you can always say that you don't want the throne and pass it over to Anna. The abdication ceremony doesn't have to be public, right?"

Elsa opened her mouth, then closed it again. "I've never thought about it", she admitted. "It could fix- well, everything." Then she frowned. "There is, however, one major flaw in that idea."

"And that is?"

"It would require Anna becoming Queen and ruling the kingdom."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Anna can't rule a kingdom! She's irresponsible, she's not ready for it and she has no idea how to be a Queen."

Anakin chuckled. "Give her some time. I'm sure that by the time she's your age she'll be perfectly ready. Besides, I was just suggesting a backup plan. You don't have to feel like everything is riding on this month we have together. There are always other options, okay?"

Elsa looked at Anakin and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "It really helps, what you said. I was feeling that this was my last chance, and, well, it's nice to know that it's not."

"Glad I could help. That's what I'm here for, no?" Anakin said. In truth, he was glad. He could feel some of the tension seeping out of Elsa through the Force, and it would make everything that much easier. Why had the Jedi never thought of talking their issues out? He was really onto something here.

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"And another thing", Anakin added: "What did you mean when you referred to your powers as a curse?"

"They are a curse. I can't live a normal life, I can't get close to anyone without hurting them. It's awful."

"No. They're not a curse, they're a gift. Think about it: who else do you know that can create ice and snow?"

"No-one, but-"

"Exactly. You have to accept that your powers are part of you, not try to block them. I'm going to teach you to control them, not remove them, and for that you have to acknowledge them first. They can be something wonderful, and I don't think you know the full extent powers yourself."

"Alright. I'll try."

"Great! Then we can proceed to the next part of the lesson."

"Which is…"

"Your power itself. I've thought about it, and I've realized that I'm going to have to teach you two things: how to release your emotions into the Force and how to control the ice itself. I don't want to start with the first one just yet, because right now it could be dangerous. The second one is, ironically, safer. I'll be here to make sure nothing goes wrong. Also, if you realize where your power comes from it might be easier for you to identify your connection to the Force later- if you even have a regular connection. If not, you'll have to access the Force through your power instead."

"You know, I have no idea whatsoever what you just said right now."

"You remember what I told you about the Force, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think your power is a version of Force sensitivity. You might also have a normal connection, but if not, you should still be able to release your emotions through your power, seeing as its emotion based."

"I won't pretend I understood all of that."

"You don't have to. All you have to do is create some ice, okay?"

Elsa's face scrunched up in concentration. For a moment it seemed like there was ice appearing at her fingertips, but a minute passed, then two, and nothing happened. Elsa lowered her hands.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I've spent so long trying to suppress the ice that I'm not sure I can even summon it at will anymore."

"Try again," Anakin said. This time, he looked at Elsa's Force presence. When she lowered her hands in defeat again, he said: "You're not trying. I could feel the power building at your fingertips, but you used your shields to suppress it. Don't try to keep it in, let it go. Try again."

So Elsa tried again, and again. None of the attempts worked, and Anakin thought he knew why.

"Imagine the feeling you got when you last had an outburst", he said finally. It was not the best way to do this, as he wanted Elsa to be able to access her power while in a peaceful state, but he didn't really see any other option.

Elsa did, and this time, a wisp of blue smoke appeared before fading into nothingness.

"Good," Anakin encouraged. "Now focus on the feeling the power itself gives you rather than the emotions you felt during your outburst."

This time, there was actual ice forming at her fingertips. It began to snow lightly in the room. Anakin stopped the snow with a small wave of Force power.

"That's enough for today, I think," he said. "You've made a lot of progress. It's understandable that you're having trouble with creating ice after you tried to suppress it for so long. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Thank you, Anakin," Elsa said. "I really don't know what I would have done without you."

"At your service, milady," Anakin bowed. "Good day."


	11. Chapter 11

Anna pressed her ear to the door lock harder, trying to make out Anakin's voice. It was something she had been itching to do since the first day Anakin had arrived, but had, until today, managed to restrain herself. Still, Anakin and her sister were locked up in that room for hours every day. What was a girl to do?

To tell the truth, Anna had her suspicions as to what Elsa and Anakin were doing in there. It was in part due to those suspicions that she was now standing hunched over, trying to discern what they were talking about. If it was what Anna thought it was, then she had to stop the disrespect to her parents' memory.

The last few days had been hard on Anna. She tried to continue with her daily routine to dull the pain, but there was the problem: she had no routine. She had, in all of actuality, nothing to do. Nothing to distract her from going over and over how she might have stopped her parents from leaving on that damn voyage, how she might have convinced them to stay or at least go in the summer when sailing was safer. When she managed to get those thoughts out of her mind, new ones surfaced, ones that she did not like at all. Thoughts of how Elsa was doing absolutely nothing to help her, despite her words that she understood how Anna felt. Thoughts of how she spent all her time locked up in that room with the hot Jedi instead of talking to her sister. How she hadn't been at the funeral and how Anna had stood there all by herself, feeling so lonely and out of place between the two gravestones that stood over empty graves. She remembered how she had stood to the side, looking at the empty place beside her that should have been her sister. The first few days, feeling cold and numb and the flashes of anger that would disappear leaving her more empty than ever.

Anna knew that she had to do something, lest she go mad. She had thought about talking to Anakin, but she was too angry at him for taking all of her sister's time- for being allowed into Elsa's room instead of her. And to think that, when she had first seen Anakin, she had thought that maybe something would change between her and her sister- that maybe the Jedi would be able to fix everything, like in the fairytales, and that she would no longer be shut out. Maybe she and Anakin would even fall in love, like in the tales, and have their happy ever after. How silly of her. She knew now that life was no fairytale- in fairytales, no-one died, and no-one's parents died, and the heroic knight was never more interested in the fair maiden's older sister than in her. Or maybe this was a fairytale- someone else's fairytale. She had never thought of it that way, but it made sense. She would always be the one shut out and pushed to the sidelines, no matter if it was in real life or in a children's story. She would never get her own story. Always part of something else, always second place.

Anna's brooding was interrupted when the door she had been leaning against opened, just slowly enough for her not to fall on her face.

"Hello Anna", Anakin said, not seeming the least bit surprised.

"Hello Anakin. How are you? I was just-, you've been locked in here for a very long time, and I thought you might want some tea," Anna improvised.

Anakin raised one eyebrow. "Tea?"

"Yes, tea, you know, not that I was listening to you guys or anything, I was just passing by, and I thought 'why don't I check on you and maybe offer some tea', or biscuits, or something."

"We could just ring Elsa's bell to the servants' quarters if we wanted anything," Anakin pointed out.

Anna stood in place for a moment. "Awkward. This is awkward. I mean, I'm awkward. Sorry for intruding on you guys, I really have to go now."

"Alright. Good day Anna. And, just so you know, I can sense a person's presence. Just in case you got any ideas of eavesdropping or anything."

"Eavesdropping? Me? Never. Ever. Wouldn't even think of it. Bye! See ya!"

Anna turned on her heel and walked away, trying to look as if she hadn't been eavesdropping- or, rather, trying to eavesdrop and getting too distracted by her glum thoughts to actually hear anything. It had been happening to her more and more in the past few days, and Anna had no idea how to deal with it. Maybe if she just pretended that everything was okay, her problems would just go away. It was worth a shot.

Anakin watched Anna's retreating back for a few seconds, then sighed and closed the door.

"You should talk to your sister," he said to Elsa. "She isn't doing too well."

"She seemed fine to me," Elsa replied from her spot on the floor. "Anna has always been very open with her feelings. If she was sad or lonely we'd all know about it."

Anakin wasn't so sure. Anna's aura had been full of negative emotions, and it didn't seem like something temporary brought on by lack of sleep or something similar. Then again, it was probably none of his business.

"I still think you should talk to her," he said anyway. Elsa nodded. "I know. I've just been so busy with all of this training, and using my power makes me so tired. I get to my room and all I want is to curl up with a book or maybe go to sleep, not have a draining conversation with my sister about our parents"

"I would offer you a day off from training, but I think I know what your response to that will be."

"I can't stop training! We have little enough time as it is. Anna might not understand it right now, but I'm doing it for her as well. If I don't succeed I might lose control and hurt her with my power. I can't have that."

Anakin nodded, sympathizing. The desire to protect his loved ones was something he could understand very well. It was probably attachment, and probably (definitely) extremely unfitting for a Jedi. Anakin got attached very easily, a very bad trait for his career choice, and though he had tried to let go of his feelings it had never really worked. They were, after all, _his_ , and Anakin did not like to throw away anything of his own. Elsa might feel the same way about her feelings, he realized.

"You've never really talked about it, but I got the feeling that you hurt Anna with your powers before," Anakin said. He had to ask sometime, and this seemed like a good opportunity. "Your 'accident'?"

Elsa lowered her eyes. "You're right. I had hurt Anna before, and, as I said, the trolls had helped us."

"What happened?"

"I would rather not talk about it. It's not that important."

Very well, Anakin thought. If she wanted to keep her secrets, he wasn't going to pry. She would tell him eventually, when she was ready. Besides, she wasn't the only one here with secrets.

"As you wish," he told her.

Elsa nodded, eyes still on the ground. "Should I continue?"

"Yes. Try for a bigger one this time."

Elsa made a flicking motion with her hands and a chunk of ice appeared. Then she moved her hands upwards, as if trying to raise something, and the ice began to grow, taking the shape of a miniaturized castle.

"Very good," Anakin appraised, though he felt like something was wrong. Elsa had, so far, only made ice sculptures and structures no taller than her waist. When Anakin tried to get her to make something bigger she would say something about not wanting to make a mess and quickly change topics. It was almost as if she was afraid of using her power to her full capacity, like if she still felt that her power was something bad that could only be used in small doses. When he had tried to approach her about that she changed topics as well- something she appeared to be very good at.

Elsa smiled, looking slightly tired. "Thank you, Master."

Hearing her address him like that never got any less strange. "Tell you what. That's enough ice for today. You can use your power at will and create very detailed and intricate things, and I think that you should be able to hone your ice skills by yourself after I leave. We should focus on teaching you to release your emotions into the Force instead."

"You've mentioned releasing feelings into the force before, but you never explained what it meant or how to do it."

"First I need to know what you know about the Force."

"Alright then. Well, everything I know is from times you mentioned it in passing, so I might be wrong, but from what I understood, the Force is a power like magic that some people have. Most people who have it are Jedi but sometimes non-Jedi get it too. People who have the Force can use it to move objects around without touching them and influence the minds of people and animals, which is a very scary idea if you think about it. Also, Jedi are trained their whole life to use their power and use it to keep the peace in the galaxy and protect the people. Oh, and Jedi can use the Force to dissolve my power before it solidifies into ice."

"Well, you got some things right, but there are a few things I have to clarify," Anakin said, thinking: 'I really should have explained this earlier'. "You see, the Force isn't just a power that some people have. It is the power that controls everything in this universe and binds everything together. One might say that it is what decides our fate.

Now, some people are born with the ability to use the Force. We call them force sensitives. Without training, most force sensitives never learn to use their power properly. If they are not very powerful they might never even realize they are different from most other people. Most force-sensitives, however, are taken to the Jedi Temple to become Jedi when they are very young and are trained to use their power, both for their protection and the safety of others. You see, a powerful force sensitive with no training can be dangerous to themselves and to those around them.

The Force gives us a lot of abilities. We can use it to improve our speed, strength and reflexes, as well as survive things that would have killed regular humans, heal other people, sense danger, move objects, influence minds of the weak-willed, communicate feelings and sometimes words telepathically and sometimes see the future. The Jedi try to follow the will of the Force, which we try to understand through the visions we have and through meditation. "

Elsa was quiet for a moment, absorbing the information. "I think I understand. I have one question."

"Shoot."

"What do you mean that they can be dangerous to themselves?"

Anakin paused before answering, thinking of the best way to explain it. "Elsa, the Force is a beautiful thing. But, like everything else, it has a bad side; the power that comes from harnessing one's anger, aggression and lust for power. We call this the Dark Side.

Whenever we, the Jedi, draw upon the Force to use its' power, we have to be calm and at peace. Our power comes from compassion and serenity. This is very important, because if we draw on the Force while we are experiencing a strong emotion like anger or fear we might accidentally draw on the dark side instead. That is why the Jedi must control their emotions at all times."

"But what is so terrible about using the dark side once or twice?" Elsa asked, confused. "Besides, it doesn't really matter where the power comes from as long as you're using it for good, no?"

Anakin was so shocked by her words he almost fell off his chair. "No! You don't understand. When you use the Force it flows through you, influencing your actions, which is how we know the will of the Force. The light side, the one all Jedi use, guides us towards good and helping people. The dark side is a twisted, unnatural version of the force, and all those that use it are selfish and cruel. Dark side users will lie simply for the sake of lying and kill because it feels good, no other reason. Even worse, if you choose the dark side it will be the only version of the Force that will come to you. As a very old and wise master used to say: once you step down the dark side, forever will it dominate your destiny."

"I see. I have one question: why is the order of the words in the final sentence so… "

"Backwards?" Anakin finished the sentence for her. "It's the way that master speaks. No one knows why and no one has ever asked, at least to my knowledge."

"Ah. That would explain why you occasionally start talking backwards while explaining something."

"I had been doing that?" Anakin really hadn't noticed. "I guess I'm used to hearing and thinking about the Force backwards. It seems natural after a while. You get used to it.

As I was saying, once you use the dark side there is no way back. Fear, anger, hate, attachment… revenge… all lead to the dark side. The old master I was telling you about earlier says that the dark side can corrupt a person until they are nothing more than a twisted shadow of what they used to be. You must never, ever use the dark side. Every time you use the Force you must be calm and centered. It's a little like when you use your power- if you are angry or afraid you can hurt someone, but if you are calm you can create beautiful things that endanger no one. The difference is that if you use your power while angry the only consequences will be the direct ones of what you did, whereas if you use the dark side it will come to you much easier next time and will change you: your priorities, your feelings- the things that make you you. Almost all Jedi have come close to using the dark side at one point or other, but most have stepped away. Some give in. We say that they fell to the dark side. A fallen Jedi is a danger to everyone and must be neutralized, even if it means that we have to kill someone who used to be close to us. "

"Is it really that terrible?" Elsa asked quietly.

"Yes," Anakin answered without hesitating. "It is."

"But if all Jedi know what the dark side is, how come some of them fall anyway? Do they want to turn evil and be hunted down by their comrades?"

"It's not that simple," Anakin sighed. "The dark side is very tempting. It offers power, and it sings to you that you don't have to fall entirely; you can just use the dark side once to achieve this one thing you really want and that's it. You don't have to go any further. If you use your power to save innocents it's not a bad thing, right? You can use it once and go back to the light. No danger. You're in complete control. That's the real danger, that it looks like there is no danger at all. Once you believe you are safe from the dark side's influence then your fall begins."

Elsa was quiet for a moment. "So you can achieve things with the dark side that you can't with the light?"

"I don't think so. The dark side can't build, only destroy. It does offer you power, but once you have that power you forget what you were going to use it for in the first place."

"How do you know all this? You said that most Jedi have had an encounter with the dark side. Is this from your own experience?"

"This is what the Jedi believe." It was a short answer, yet it summed up Anakin's feelings on the subject completely. His own experience showed that the dark side did not come slowly, pretending to be something else- and how could it, when it was always so clear what was dark and what was light? It came in moments of rage, its nature clear yet still so hard to resist. Anakin might not be able to control himself as well as a Jedi should, but at least he would never make the mistake of thinking that the dark side was anything other than pure evil. The world was black and white, and he knew where he stood.

"What do you believe?"

"I believe that the dark side is evil. As there is a Jedi order, an order of light users, there is a dark side order. They call themselves the Sith. I have met one of them personally, and while I do not know what he was like when he was still a Jedi, I know what he is now- evil. Just to illustrate my meaning, there used to be an entire order of Sith, but now there are only two. They even have a rule that says there can only be two Sith at a time- a master and an apprentice. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because they constantly murdered and betrayed each other until their order was on the verge of extinction. And even now, the only way for an apprentice to become a master is to murder their own master. How can something like that be considered good from any point of view?"

Elsa exhaled. "I think you've made your point clear. I swear that I will never, ever even think of falling to the dark side."

"Good," Anakin smiled. "Now, on that happy note, I believe it is time for you to learn to touch the Force."

0o0o0o0o

'This is easier than I thought it would be', Elsa thought as she tried to feel Anakin's emotions through the Force. At first, Elsa had been rather scared of even trying to feel the Force- what with Anakin's lecture on how the dark side would twist her until she was selfish and cruel and killed for fun- but once Anakin had assured her that it was much more difficult to feel the dark side when you can't even feel the light side properly (apparently, the greater the power, the stronger the pull and temptation of the dark) she decided to give it a try. It wasn't that difficult, actually. She could already feel Anakin's emotions as well as her own, and Anakin had promised her that next lesson they could start working on releasing her feelings into the Force. He said that it could sometimes be very difficult and that you had to acknowledge a feeling before you released it, so she should prepare for bringing up some painful topics. Then he had muttered something about her having more than enough things to release, thanks to her parents' idea of child raising. When she had asked him what was that supposed to mean, Anakin had quickly said 'nothing!' and changed topics.

"I can feel you in the Force. You are sending waves of irritation towards me." Elsa said to Anakin. He smiled at her, making her heart flutter unexplainably. This had been happening more and more lately, and it left Elsa extremely confused. She had never suffered from arrhythmia before, though she didn't see how it could be anything else.

"Correct!" Anakin said happily. "Note that it doesn't necessarily mean that I am annoyed. I can project different emotions without feeling them. If, however, you were to thoroughly probe my mind with the Force, you would know what I am really feeling. "

Elsa nodded, mentally writing the information down.

"Well, I think that's enough for today," Anakin said, getting up from his chair. "You have done very well."

Elsa was about to protest that she wanted to continue, but she suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion overtake her. Using the Force was hard work, and for some reason, she never noticed the exhaustion until the lesson was done.

It was only 5:00 pm, but Elsa realized that she wanted to sleep. Anakin smiled at her and left the room, closing the door softly after him. Elsa had just enough energy left to get up from her sitting place on the floor and crawl into bed. Her last thought before she let sleep overtake her was: 'I'll talk to Anna tomorrow…'


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: This chapter was a lot of fun to write, but also very difficult. I hope I did the relationship between Anna and Elsa justice. Also, I don't know if they used plastic wrap in the galaxy far, far away, but for the sake of this story I'm going to say that yes they did._

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Elsa was feeling pretty good with herself as she stared at the miniaturized ice castle she had created. It was three stories high -about up to her waist- and all flowing lines and graceful, curving shapes, with a tiny snowflake engraved on every wall and floor. The snowflake pattern was repeated again and again in the structure of the entire castle, Elsa realized with a sense of accomplishment- in the symmetry of the thing, in the spires and even in the tiny chandelier in the middle of the biggest room.

"Good work, Elsa", Anakin said, sounding impressed. To be honest, Elsa was, too. She still couldn't believe how she had managed to make something so, well, perfect.

"I think that's enough for today", Anakin continued. "We should focus more on releasing your emotions into the Force."

Elsa sighed. Here came the less enjoyable part of the lesson.

She sat down and crossed her legs, Turkish style. Her eyes closed, Elsa concentrated and tried to reach out with her feelings to feel Anakin's life force. As usual, she failed.

Her dejection might have shown through the Force, because Anakin patted her shoulder gently and said: "Hey, it's okay. This isn't easy. Try again."

So she did, and then tried again, and again, and again. After the fourth failed attempt, Elsa felt ready to punch something.

For some reason, this seemed to delight Anakin. "This is great!" he said enthusiastically. "We can try a new approach. You can try to release an emotion you are experiencing right now. Way easier than letting go of a deep seated past hurt."

Anakin's enthusiasm was catching. Elsa moved to try again, but Anakin stopped her: "Before you do it again, try this: imagine there's a shield around your thoughts, like a thick plastic wrap. Then, imagine peeling part of it off gently. Send your negative emotions through the hole in the wrap, okay? Don't bother with reaching me, just let go of your anger at failing. Remember, you don't want the anger. It's not part of you, so you can let it go. Got that?"

Elsa nodded. She wasn't sure what 'plastic wrap' meant, but Anakin's overall meaning was clear.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, envisioning a shield around her thoughts. It was too easy- it felt a little like the shield had always been there without her noticing it. It was a bulky thing, dark grey with a metallic sheen. Elsa tried to shove it away, but it wouldn't budge.

The easiest thing to do would be to ignore the shield and try to release her emotions into the undefined emptiness of her mind, as she had tried to do before, but somehow Elsa got the feeling that it wouldn't work (maybe because it had failed every other time she had tried to do it). That left one thing to do: find a hole in the shield.

The task seemed impossible. The shield seemed to be made of solid metal, and try as she might, Elsa could not find any holes or blemishes. The smooth, icy metal was flawless.

Suddenly, it hit her. The shield was in her mind. Trying to break it with imagined objects was useless, because as long as she imagined it still there it would stay there. She had to imagine it breaking down.

Inspired by her idea, Elsa concentrated and imagined the shield disappearing. It didn't work. Of course not. The shield had to be real, in a way. Maybe it was how Force users visualized the mental blocks that Anakin had once told her about- it would be real through the force, and very capable of blocking her emotions from leaving, but impossible to break through with imagined tools.

Stymied, Elsa resorted to the thing she usually did when there was nothing else she could do: her power. However, the ice didn't break the metal, it only strengthened it. She would never learn control this way, and she would never be able to talk to Anna without a wall between them…

Was it her imagination or did she see the shield crack a little as she thought of Anna?

Excited, Elsa brought up more memories of her and Anna playing as children. The shield gave way even more.

After a little bit of experimenting, Elsa found that thoughts of Anna and (strangely) Anakin made the shield give way, while thoughts of her coronation and her parents only strengthened it. She knew now what she had to do- it was easy. She pelted the shield with happy memories of Anna, and they melted it like acid. The shield cracked, gave way, became almost transparent in some places until, with a loud crack it gave way and Elsa could see a hole.

It felt amazing, a breath of fresh air, like all of her life she had been walking with her eyes closed and could finally see. She could feel the objects in her room, her bed in the corner, and Anakin burning bright as a flame. She felt him notice her presence and send a wave of encouragement. Was this how Anakin felt all the time? Wow. She wanted to be a Jedi.

Then, Elsa felt the hole starting to close. Quickly, before the shield had time to regenerate, she fished her previous anger at failing, almost forgotten and buried under the new feelings, out and pushed it through the hole. She held on to it for a second, and it was with a strange reluctance that she finally let go. It felt good, to finally be free of a small piece of her frustration.

Elsa opened her eyes and got up, a huge grin on her face. Anakin was watching her, smiling as well, and Elsa felt that strange flutter in her heart again. Quickly, without giving herself time to think, she took a step towards Anakin and hugged him tightly, whispering: "Thank you. I would never have done this without you."

Anakin hugged her back, and, acting on impulse, Elsa kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't a big deal, not really. Or, at least, it wouldn't have been if Anna hadn't chosen that very moment to open the door to their room.

Anna froze on the doorstep. Elsa quickly took a step away from Anakin, feeling as though she had done something wrong. Nobody said a word, but Elsa could feel the tension in the air. For some reason, the kiss meant much more to Anna, she realized. Much more than a simple expression of gratitude.

The silence stretched on and on until finally, Elsa couldn't stand the tension. She opened her mouth to say something, she wasn't even sure what, when Anna spoke first:

"So that's what you've been doing in here." Her voice wasn't loud, but it scared Elsa much more than the tantrums Anna had used to throw near her door.

"What do you mean?" Elsa really didn't understand.

In the same quiet, not-Anna-at-all voice, Anna continued: "Our parents' funeral was last week. Or have you already forgotten?"

"Forgotten what? Anna, I don't understand what this is about."

"Oh, sure you don't. Does it matter so little to you that you don't even see what you're doing wrong?"

"Anna, if you don't tell me what you're talking about, I can't answer. Please tell me what's going on."

Anna hesitated, then nodded: "Fine. But he," she pointed at Anakin, "has to leave."

Elsa really didn't think that it was a good idea. Anakin was Anna's only protection against Elsa's power. But Anakin simply nodded, smiled at Anna and left the room, closing the door softly after him. It felt nice that he trusted her to control herself, but Elsa didn't like it.

Once Anakin was gone, Anna turned around to face Elsa and said: "Do you have any idea how inappropriate it is to flirt with people before you have even finished your month of mourning? You're not even wearing mourning clothes. You don't care. All this time I thought there was a reason for you locking yourself away, but now I see: you never cared about any of us."

Horrified, Elsa tried to interject: "Anna, I wasn't flirting! I swear, I would never even think of anything between me and Anakin! Not now. I do care, the entire reason I'm doing this is because I care!"

"You kissed him, don't try to lie to me. You, the future queen, kissed a man during your time of supposed mourning. You're not even supposed to touch anyone, or does tradition mean nothing to you as well?"

Tradition… Suddenly, Elsa remembered: during the month of mourning for a family member, the remaining family was not supposed to touch anyone except other family members for comfort. She was about to interject that she had simply forgotten, if she had known she would never have hugged Anakin, when it hit her: that was what Anna was talking about.

Meanwhile, Anna continued, her voice rising to a shout: "And even if we don't talk about tradition. Even if you don't care about that, how could you do this to me? You left me alone. Do you have any idea how hard these past days have been? You never even talked to me. You promised you would be there if I wanted to talk, but instead, every time I knocked on this door the Jedi was there and you said you were busy! You met him a week ago and you care about him more than you do about me!"

"Anna, you don't understand!"

"What don't I understand? WHAT? I might understand if you actually told me anything, but you never do! All you ever did was lock yourself away and shut the doors in my face."

Elsa tried to find something to say to that, but she couldn't. Anna was right. It was her fault. Anakin had warned her to talk to Anna, and she had ignored him, too.

Anna's voice became quieter. "Elsa, we're sisters. I don't understand why you do what you do, but I don't want to believe it's because you have no feelings. Tell me why. That's all I ever wanted. It used to be so great to be your sister, but now it's like you've forgotten everything. Tell me why!"

Elsa felt tears fill her eyes. "I- I can't!"

Anna was angry again. "Why not? Why?"

"I promised our parents I wouldn't." Elsa felt her fingertips grow cold. Too much emotion, and she still hadn't learned to stop it. Failure. Again.

"Don't you bring them into it! Don't you dare! This is between us, nobody else. Tell me!"

"I- I'm sorry. I can't."

Enraged, Anna lunged for Elsa, trying to grab her by the shoulders and shake the truth out of her, or maybe punch her for all the suffering she had caused her in the last week- the last ten years. Elsa knew what was about to happen, but she was powerless to stop it. She could only watch in horror as Anna lunged, and the ice flew from her fingertips like sharp daggers. It happened quickly, but Elsa could see every tiny detail: Anna's surprised expression, the silver wisps flying towards Anna and entering her heart…

It was exactly like last time: Anna slumped and fell to the ground. Elsa ran over to her, feeling as though she was caught in a nightmare. Anna's skin was ice cold.

"You'll be okay, Anna. I got you. You'll be fine, okay?" Elsa half-comforted, half-pleaded. She didn't know when Anakin had come in, but he was there, warm and comforting. Elsa wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug him, cry on his shoulder and have him comfort her, but she knew that she would never do that. She had disrespected her parents' memory enough.

Anakin closed his eyes and reached out to put a hand on Anna's forehead. He held it for a second and then took it away, looking slightly pale. "There," he said.

"What did you do?" Elsa asked quietly.

"I checked if there was anything I can do. The ice is freezing her from inside. I put her to sleep, but it will only slow the freeze, not stop it."

"You can do that?" despite the gravity of the moment, Elsa couldn't help but be curious.

"I'm no healer, but I did spend a lot of time in the healers' ward. I know a few tricks, but right now there's nothing else I can do. Do you have any real healers?"

"No. But you know what we do have."

Anakin smiled a little. "Yes. The trolls."

Elsa nodded and got up to leave.

"Elsa," Anakin stopped her. He looked like he was about to put a hand on her shoulder, but stopped himself. Elsa wondered if he had overheard part of their conversation.

"It's not your fault, alright? Don't blame yourself. Not your fault."

Elsa nodded, and wondered how long she could keep telling herself that.


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: So sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter. What can I say, school._

 _I'm not really happy with how this one turned out, but I tried my best, so here it is. Read and (hopefully) enjoy._

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The ride to the trolls was a blur. All Elsa remembered was Anakin riding in front of her, Anna's lifeless body in his arms. How he managed to keep his balance with his hands occupied wasn't important, nor was how the horses seemed to be much more docile and ran twice as quickly as last time. Getting Anna to the trolls was the only thing that mattered.

They arrived at the clearing and dismounted without Elsa even noticing. She was in some sort of daze, not hearing anything or seeing anything. She stayed near the horses; unable to move, and barely saw the trolls unroll. There were no songs this time. The trolls whispered amongst themselves, their expression grim. Pabbie appeared from the back and motioned for Anakin to put Anna in his arms. All of this happened so quickly and quietly that Elsa almost didn't catch Pabbie's words:

"I'm sorry. If it was the head again, we could help. But the heart… there ice inside it. If not removed, to solid ice she will freeze. Forever. "

"Wait. You can't be saying this." Elsa made her way towards Pabbie, the trolls parting for her. "You have a way to help her, right? You can remove the ice, can't you?"

Pabbie's expression said it all.

"No. Anna will live, you hear? You will help her. Everything will be fine. Even if it means I never see her again, for God's sake, help her!"

Pabbie shook her head slowly. Elsa felt her heart sink and the ice form at her fingertips, or maybe it had been there all along. She really didn't know, and it didn't matter.

"We cannot help her," Pabbie repeated. "But that does not mean no one can."

Hope. There was hope again. "Who can help her?" Elsa asked.

"It can be anyone. An act of true love."

"Such as a true love's kiss," one of the trolls said, almost excited. "An act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

A true love's kiss… Anna had no lover. Maybe if she had been allowed to leave the castle it would have been different. Maybe if Elsa had talked to their parents, persuaded them to let Anna go outside…

"Elsa, we should go" Anakin said gently, making his voice heard for the first time since they had entered the clearing.

Elsa turned her head to look at him slowly. "Yes- we should go," she repeated after him. Anakin nodded and bent down to take Anna from Pabbie's arms, then walked towards the horses gently so as not to jostle Anna. Elsa followed him slowly.

"Wait a second," she said. Anakin turned around.

"What?"

"Look at Anna's hair. It's turning white."

"We don't have much time," Anakin said. He strode hurriedly towards his horse and mounted it in one quick jump, somehow keeping Anna safely in his arms. Elsa followed suite, mounting her own horse slightly less gracefully.

"Anakin, I want to ask you something," she said as they rode quickly through the forest.

"What is it?" he asked without turning his head.

"Could you- the trolls said- it could be a kiss. I don't know if it would work, but could you kiss Anna? Try it?"

Elsa heard Anakin sigh. "It's not going to be that easy, Elsa. I can try if it will make you feel better, but I don't love Anna- not that way. It would be a purely physical gesture, not a true love's kiss. Isn't there anyone else who could kiss Anna? No young suitors, nobody?"

"She wasn't allowed to go outside much. She was definitely encouraged to stay inside, and my parents tried to limit her contact with people."

"Why? I understand them trying to keep you from meeting anyone, though I may not agree, but what did Anna ever do?"

Elsa felt a sob form in her throat. "I don't know. I never asked. They wanted her to stay out of trouble, and so she wouldn't tell people that I was in my room all the time, I think. It's all my fault. All of this is my fault."

This time Anakin did twist around in his saddle to face Elsa. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter whose fault it is. We can talk about that later, when all of this is over. Right now what matters is helping Anna, so that's what we're going to do. We're not going to look for anyone to blame because it doesn't matter if it's you, me, your parents or Anna herself. Okay?"

For some reason, Anakin's strict tone helped Elsa pull herself together. She nodded. "Okay."

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Elsa did her best not to think about what could happen to Anna. Like Anakin said, she would focus on helping Anna, not playing the worst-case scenarios around in her head.

000

"I'm doing all I can to help her. Right now I put her in a force-induced sleep- this way it will take longer for the ice to reach the rest of her- but aside from that, there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry, Elsa."

Elsa felt the sob from earlier threaten to return. "Can you try what we talked about? The kiss?"

Anakin sighed. "It won't help. But I can try." He leaned in to where Anna was lying on the bed and softly pressed his lips to hers. Elsa held her breath.

A moment passed, then a second one, but nothing happened. Anna's hair remained white- in fact, another strand lost its color even as they watched.

"It's of no use."

At least we tried, Elsa thought. Anakin stood up.

"Would you like some time alone with her?" He asked softly.

"Yes. Could you stop the sleeping spell?"

Anakin shook his head. "She will wake up in her own time. It should be in a few minutes, but right now, she can probably hear everything we're saying. I could make her sleep again if you want to- give her more time, give us more time to think of something."

"No. It's pointless. I can't make someone fall in love with Anna in a few hours, not for it to be true love. I want to speak to my sister."

"She will wake up soon. I'm so sorry, Elsa." Anakin got up quietly and left the room, leaving the two sisters alone.

Elsa watched the door close detachedly. There was a sense of unrealness about the whole situation. Everything happened too quickly for Elsa to keep up with, and she couldn't believe that she was sitting next to what could well be her sister's deathbed. It all seemed like one horrible nightmare, something that would pass as soon as she woke up. Elsa felt nothing- none of the pain or grief that would surely come later, just like when she had heard the news of her parents' death.

She wanted to apologize to Anna, see her face without being afraid of hurting her for the first time in years. She guessed this was the closest she would ever come to that. Better start talking, say everything she wanted to say before it was too late.

"Anna. I have a lot I need to tell you." That was an understatement. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you any of this before, but I promised our parents I wouldn't. I think that was a mistake, but I can't do anything about keeping this from you for so long.

You remember when you used to come up to my door and ask me why don't I come to play with you anymore? You'd say that we used to be so close, but now everything's changed, and you don't know why. I know why. It's because of the curse.

You probably already know that I have powers over ice and snow. You found out the hard way, and I'm so sorry for that. But I can't control it. Whenever I'm sad or angry or frustrated or scared the ice comes out, and there's nothing I can do. That's why our parents separated us and why I stayed in my room all the time. It's so I wouldn't hurt anyone by accident. I already hurt you once, when you were little. We were playing and I missed and hit you with my ice before it solidified. We went to the trolls and they helped you somehow, but they said that they have to erase your memories of us playing in my snow. They changed them to memories of us playing outside. You might have a lot of early memories of us in the winter, and that's why.

Then we were separated, and I cannot tell you how much it hurt to be alone for all those years. To be scared of myself and not let my parents come near me for fear of hurting them. To not have any friends and know that everyone I know is in danger because of me. To tell you to leave when you were waiting outside my door."

Suddenly, it hit her, like a wagon full of bricks. Anna was dying because of her. Elsa doubled over in a soundless sob, understanding for the first time that this was real. It was no nightmare.

"And then our parents left on that stupid trip," she choked out, crying for real now. "I- I asked them not to go, but the- they said they had to. That it was important. And then when they were go-gone Anakin came, and I had hope for the first time in years that I could learn to control my powers. Anakin offered to help me. He was a Jedi, and he could help. A-and then the letter came…"

Elsa was crying uncontrollably, the tears rolling down her face and pooling at the bridge of her nose.

"It said that they were dead," she sobbed. "And I was alone to deal with everything. And then, right when I started succeeding to control my powers and everything was going well, this happened. I hurt you again, only this time it isn't the head, it's the heart, and the trolls can't help. And it's all my fault, because I should have made sure that you were safe and that Anakin was there to protect you from me.

And right now, Anakin is the only friend I have aside from you, and he'll leave in when the spring comes and you are dying and it's all my fault. Anna, I love you. I love you so much and all I ever did was to protect you, but it wasn't enough, and now you're paying the price. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I love you."

Elsa rocked back and forth, crying, because it was just so wrong- all of it. What kind of cruel god would do this, she thought. Give me hope and take it away, then again and again until I have no hope left at all and have others pay the price for my mistakes. Anna is innocent, I'm the one who didn't learn to control my powers. Why is she the one to suffer? Why?

Elsa took Anna's hand. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: I am so sorry for taking this long to post this chapter. Seriously, if anyone is still sticking with this from the beginning, thank you so much. I'll try to post sooner in the future, but I can't promise regular updates._

 _I have no excuse._

 _Anyway, read and, hopefully, enjoy._

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Anakin walked slowly through the hallway, unsure what he'd do when he reached the door he was walking towards. He had spent the last half hour trying to find someone in the whole kriffing castle who had any romantic feelings for Anna, but to no avail. How could it be that not one of the servants had any feelings whatsoever for Anna?

'Kriff,' he thought as he walked even slower, trying to delay the moment he would open the door. 'I can't have another person dying on my watch.' The mere thought of what this could do to Elsa made him pale. He had seen her reaction to her parents' demise, and to have her sister join them after only a week… it was too much. Anakin himself was willing to do anything to keep his loved ones alive, and he thought he could predict Elsa's reaction to something like this happening to her sister.

The door was close now, only a few meters away, and Anakin stopped, hesitating. Elsa might want to be alone now. He heard crying coming from the room, desolate sobs combined with quiet weeping. Maybe now wasn't the right time to enter.

Anakin was about to turn and leave when something he heard stopped him right in his tracks.

"I love you Anna, please, stay with me. I know you got angry because of Anakin, and I'm sorry for spending so much time with him, but- I'm- I think I feel something for him. He's the first person I met who could help me, and he was so kind. I know it's stupid, but there's nothing I can do. I shouldn't have ignored you, I shouldn't have broken tradition, I know. But please, Anna, please forgive me. Stay with me, sister."

'I feel something for him?' Anakin though, shocked. What was that supposed to mean? And why was Elsa confessing her feelings to her sister now? This was not the time. They should be focusing on saving Anna, nothing else. Though… if Anakin was honest with himself, there was nothing they could do.

He hated feeling like that. Being helpless was his greatest fear since always, though he never told it to anyone. But if there was one thing the Hero With No Fear couldn't stand, it was being powerless, like now. Helpless to help Anna, to do anything but stand there and watch. The only thing he could do now was try to console Elsa, and even then, who was he to help one cope with the death of a family member?

Anakin pushed the door open and walked in, startling Elsa.

"Anakin…" she whispered, then returned her gaze to Anna, lying on the bed. A single tear slid down her cheek.

Anakin knew what she was feeling. It was emptiness, the thing that came after you were finished crying and raging and screaming at the sky. When you had nothing left and you just sat there quietly and stared at the wall until you fell asleep and the new day brought fresh pain.

With Jedi, it was different. You weren't allowed to cry. All you could do was suppress the emotions and let them out, slowly, at the battlefield or on the next mission, striking a bit harder with each blow than what was necessary and slicing the droids into a little more pieces than needed. Anakin was pretty sure Obi-Wan had noticed his coping mechanism on the battlefield, but if he did, he never mentioned it.

But that only worked with smaller things. Things like the murder of a family member… well, it was best not to think about how he dealt with that. Hopefully, Elsa would not follow in her former master's footprints- especially since, strictly speaking, the only person left Elsa could blame for Anna's death would be herself.

That reminded him. He was Elsa's master, after all. He had to help her through this. What would the Jedi say?

Immediately, Master Yoda's voice floated to the top of his mind: "Release all your attachments, let go of them, you must. Your emotions let float away. Your mind, they cloud."

Anakin looked at Elsa, holding Anna's pale hand. He couldn't tell her to let Anna go. It was impossible. So instead, he knelt down next to Elsa and took her hand. They sat there quietly, and to Anakin it was better consolation than anything the Jedi had ever offered him.

Then, Anakin heard something. At first he thought he imagined it; the sound was so faint , so easy to miss, but then there it was again: one word coming from an almost frozen mouth.

"Sister?"

Anakin looked at the hand Elsa was still holding, barely daring to hope. He blinked and looked again, a warm feeling starting to rise in his chest. The hand, which until now had been an almost icy blue, was ever-so-slightly but unmistakably pink.

"Elsa?" Anakin ventured. Elsa didn't reply, too deep in her grief to hear. He tried again. "Elsa?"

She looked up. "What?" she whispered.

"It's Anna. Look!"

Elsa turned her head to look at Anna. Her mouth formed a small round 'o'. Elsa started to get up slowly. The she was knocked off her feet by a tackling hug from someone who, until now, was thought to be beyond hope.

"Anna, you're alright!" Elsa choked out.

"Yes, I'm fine. All unfrozen now, see?" Anna smiled. The sisters got up, looked at each other, and rushed to hug each other again.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Elsa said as they rocked back and forth.

"Don't be. It was my fault for provoking you. I'm fine now, and I know why you stayed in your room. I heard everything you said, you know. You won't believe how glad I am to know you didn't avoid me because you hated me."

"Hated you?" Elsa took a step back. "Is that what you thought?"

"For some time. It was hard being here all alone for those years. But it's over now. It's all over."

"All over…" Elsa said quietly. Then she looked up. "I should leave now, Anna. I'm still not in full control of my power."

"You wouldn't hurt me!" Anna said confidently, but Elsa just shook her head, halfway to the door. "It's a risk I can't take. I'm sorry." She slipped out, shutting the door before Anna could stop her. They heard the patter of footsteps as Elsa rushed up the hall to her room and the click of the lock as her door shut behind her.

Anna looked at Anakin helplessly. "What do we do now? I don't want it to go back the way it was before."

Anakin shook his head. "It won't, I promise, but I don't think we should talk to her now. She's just been through intense emotional turmoil. We should wait until tomorrow, at the very least."

Anna sighed. "Alright. There's a few things I still don't understand, though."

"What?"

"While I was frozen, Elsa told me about her powers and how she used them on me by accident when we were kids. About the whole things with the trolls and the memory wipe. But she said the trolls told her an ice shard to the death couldn't be cured that easily. What did you do to unfreeze me this time?"

"I'm not sure, actually. We went to the trolls again, and they said that only an act of true love could thaw a frozen heart. The only example they gave was a true love's kiss."

Anna blushed. "You didn't… kiss me, right?"

"Well, actually… look, I'm sorry, but you were asleep and we were running out of options. It couldn't hurt."

Anna giggled. "Maybe that's what unfroze me."

"No. Definitely not. It has to be a true love's kiss, not just a gesture, and I'm sorry, but-"

"No, it's okay. Besides, now I can say I've been kissed by a Jedi Knight while I was asleep. Maybe life is like the fairytales, after all."

"Fairytales?"

"You know. Sleeping Princess, Ice White, those sorts of things. Where the princess is kissed by a valiant Jedi Knight and her magical sleep is broken."

"I've never heard those stories. You'll have to tell them to me one day."

"Don't worry, I will, if you get me my sister back."

"Don't worry, Elsa will come out. I'm sure of it."

"I wish I was."

Anakin sighed. "Anna, you know how you asked me how did we unfreeze you?"

"Yes?"

"I think I have a pretty good guess. It was Elsa, the way she told you everything- the secrets she had been keeping for so long and her true feelings. For her, it was hard, and I think that's what made it an act of true love. She loves you, Anna, and that's why she will come out- after I finish her training, if it makes her feel better. There is only one question I have left."

"And that is?"

"Why those blasted trolls didn't tell us true love could be platonic."


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: I really thought I would manage to keep a somewhat regular updating schedule. I actually thought I'd be able to publish at least once a month. Apparently, I was (really) wrong._

 _Really sorry about the delay, it was caused in part by my finding (read: obsessing over) a webcomic called girl genius. For those who haven't read it, I really recommend it. It's funny, touching and sometimes incredibly sad._

 _Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy, because this story has maybe a few more chapters before it ends. If you have any suggestions for something else you want me to write, I'm all ears._

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"Anakin, this is crazy," Elsa frowned. "Was there really no other way?"

"You kept the door locked at all times, and when I tried to tell you it was me you started shouting 'You can't fool me, Anna! I know it's you!' so loudly I thought the whole castle staff would rush to your rescue".

"Still, it's not a reason to climb in through the window," Elsa said, trying to hide a small smile. "I would have let you in eventually."

"Yes, once you stopped freaking out over your sister so much. Seriously, Elsa, what's up with that?"

"What do you mean?"

Anakin sighed. "You've found a way to unfreeze Anna, you've finally had told her everything, she's accepted you and even promised to stop pissing you off when you suddenly rush off to your room and lock yourself there. Your sister wants to talk to you. Why are you pushing her away again?"

"I'm not pushing her away, but it's exactly the point- I don't want to force her to watch every word she says around me because any little thing could set me off. And yes, we managed to unfreeze her once, but that doesn't mean we can do it again- or even if so, that Anna would like to be frozen again. I want Anna to have a normal life, and she can't do that if she is constantly in danger of being frozen by me."

"So what's your solution? Never see Anna again? Trust me, your sister would much prefer your company to this 'normal life' thing."

"I nearly lost her twice already!" Elsa wailed. "That's twice too many. I can't stand it again. I've already lost too many people."

Anakin put a hand on her shoulder. "I know all about losing people you love, and I know how hard it is to give up protecting someone. But trust me, you leaving your room won't cause Anna any harm. Not now that we know the secret of unfreezing things."

"Which is…"

"An act of true love, like the trolls said- in this case, sisterly love. I still don't get why they didn't mention that. They remind me of a certain Jedi Master I know, he never spoke clearly as well…"

"So all it took for me to unfreeze Anna was tell her all of my deepest secrets. That's too bad, seeing as I don't have any more secrets to spill. What am I going to do next time?"

Anakin grinned. "Assuming that there will be a next time? From what I understood, it isn't really the act itself that matters; it's what you feel while doing it. You have to love Anna very, very much, but as long as you do, I think the act could be anything- from cleaning her room to giving her a box of chocolates."

"Given how much Anna loves chocolate and the state of her room, both of those would be real acts of true love for her." Elsa felt a hesitant smile creeping onto her face. "Are you sure?'

"Positive. Still, I have one more question. What would you have done if I hadn't told you this? Stayed in your room forever?'

"No. I'm not that unreasonable. I'd just ask you to finish teaching me control."

"Oh, good."

"And possibly interact with Anna through a glass cage."

"You're just messing with me now, aren't you?"

"Possibly," Elsa said, thinking 'you never know'.

"Actually, as a matter of fact, it would be nice if we could finish teaching me before I see Anna. Just so I can be more sure of myself."

"Sure, why not. We were almost finished anyway. You had managed to release part of your anger last time we tried this, right?"

Elsa nodded.

"Do you remember how you did this?"

"You told me to imagine a shield around my mind and try to make a hole in it. I did, by thinking of Anna and… other people I loved, and then I could let go of my anger through that hole. When the hole was opened I could feel everything, the life within every person and being. Is that how it works for Jedi, as well?"

Anakin scratched his head. "Well, it's slightly different for every Jedi, but I don't think it's exactly like what you experienced. Your power is emotion-based, hence the shield melting away from positive feelings. With us it's different. There isn't a shield per say, we just sort of have to expand our mind and listen to what the Force tells us while being aware of everything else that's happening. The Force tells us things in different ways, mainly feelings or hunches but sometimes actual ideas or knowledge of what we have to do. Releasing the emotions, though, is just like what you did. We have to be tranquil while using the Force, because every emotion can taint our mind and make a way in for the Dark Side. At least, that's what everyone says. I don't really see how emotions like love could ever taint anything, but for now I do what my Master tells me. Most of the time.

Now, sit down and try to open your mind again. Imagine that shield, and once you have, try to let go of deeper emotions. Not just what you are feeling at the moment, but the underlying current- grief, anger, insecurity, things you have been feeling for a long time and have been trying to suppress."

Elsa closed her eyes and saw the shield again. It was weaker than last time, slightly less shiny and hard. It only took a few thoughts of Anna to make a hole. Now came the hard part.

She searched for any underlying emotions that she might have, but found nothing. That wasn't right. She was sure Anakin wouldn't have told her to do this without reason.

Suddenly, there it was, and Elsa couldn't see how she hadn't noticed it sooner. Her grief at her parents' death was there, mixed with a few other emotions she couldn't identify. She saw it in her mind's eye, so huge she had at first confused it for part of her, and when she tried to pick it up it shot a stab of sadness through her, but Elsa persisted. She imagined herself holding the huge thing and then flinging it out of the hole, as far as she could. It was hard, and for a moment she felt guilt, but then she reminded herself that her parents wouldn't have wanted her to hold on to them forever. She opened her imaginary hands and let go, thinking 'I won't forget you, mom and dad. Ever. Rest in peace."

Suddenly, Elsa felt so giddy that she had to open her eyes. "Anakin! Did you feel that? I did it!"

"Yes, Elsa, that was great!" Anakin said enthusiastically. Then he smiled shyly. "I haven't been able to do that, actually. Letting go of my mom's death. Not like that, anyway. I did… something else…"

He fell quiet, sinking into his glum thoughts, but Elsa was too happy to notice. "I feel so light! And I don't feel guilty anymore. I know that my parents would have wanted me to be happy and to continue living. Gosh, if I could get Anna to try this."

"She can't do that. Sorry. Non Force-Sensitives can't release their emotions into the Force, or whatever it was you did. I don't think you're accessing the Force directly, and anyway, what you did seemed more like when you use your power, which is definitely not a usual Force ability. Maybe this planet has some magical field, like some of the other ones I've seen." He shrugged. "Meh. Who cares. Maybe Obi-Wan would want to study this in detail, but I'm just glad that you have some Force abilities, whatever the reason."

Elsa got up. "I never knew it would be so… fast. I always thought grief took a long time to heal, and even then, acceptance didn't mean you stopped feeling sad."

"It's different with the Force- faster- but trust me, you haven't stopped feeling sad completely. I'm not even sure you've reached acceptance yet. What you're feeling right now is the release of deep-seated emotions, some of them probably from before your parents' demise, if I judged correctly, and you're feeling light and happy because you don't have to carry all that around. Once you've settled down, you'll still mourn for your parents, but it won't be the main thing that occupies your thoughts or even something you think about every day. The Force is like a speeding up of the healing process, only you can use it to remove childhood traumas and such that otherwise might have stayed there forever. I'm surprised you managed to do it so well, actually. Usually it takes years of practice. Parting with a piece of yourself is hard, even if the piece is a negative emotion."

"And this is what you do during meditation?"

"Supposed to do, yes."

Elsa was silent for a moment. "But if you use the force to let go of your emotions, like I did now, doesn't that change who you are? If it changes the way you feel about things and how you will react to something next, and you can use it to change what you experience, don't you become someone else every time you do it?"

"Not exactly. Saying releasing your grief changes you would be like arguing that living changes you, because every day you learn something else and your reactions to things change. It's true, but not necessarily bad or to be avoided. You can look at it like taking depression medication, if it helps."

"I have no idea what depression medication is, but if anything, it makes me more nervous. It sounds horrible, like some sort of dampener you put on people to stop them from being excited or something."

"It's medication against depression, actually, but close guess." They both laughed, and for one moment, Elsa wished Anakin would never have to leave. He was so easy to talk to and- well, she really liked him. He had the sort of carefree quality that Anna had plenty of and Elsa sorely lacked.

Anakin seemed to sense the change in the mood, because his face turned serious and he looked at Elsa as f getting ready for a serious talk.

"You know, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," he began, "but while you were talking to Anna I couldn't help but overhear…"

Elsa was starting to get nervous. "What is it?"

"What did you mean when you said you felt something for me?"

Elsa felt herself beginning to blush. "Well, um…"

"Did you mean felt something like friendship, or maybe amusement at my jokes, or, well…"

He was leaving her escape options. How nice.

"I meant that, um, I-"

She was going to say it, she decided suddenly. She was pretty sure she knew her own feelings, and this was what she felt. Rejection from Anakin would be better than hiding it, and anyway, it wasn't like Anakin really didn't know what she meant by 'feelings for him'.

"I think I'm in love with you."

Anakin didn't appear too shocked, like Elsa had thought. He looked like he was going to open his mouth to say something, but Elsa interrupted:

"Look, I know you're a Jedi and you're not supposed to, and you're leaving so soon anyway, but I still feel what I feel and maybe we wouldn't have to make it last, just these next few weeks. We could make the most of our time together. I think you Jedi are wrong in denying love. Without my feelings for you, I don't think I would have been able to learn from you so quickly, and without my love for Anna she would still be an ice block. Love is a beautiful feeling, and I don't see how anything so pure could ever lead to anything like the Dark Side you told me about. So, maybe we could give it a shot?"

Anakin looked like he wanted to say something again, then thought better of it, then opened his mouth to speak again. Elsa barely had time to feel nervous before he spoke:

"Elsa, I'm married."

"What?" She was shocked. Of all the reasons Anakin would not want to be with her, this was the only one she had not agonized over last night in bed, trying to decide whether to tell him or not.

Having regained control of herself slightly, she added: "Who is the lucky girl?"

Anakin's expression became wistful. "Her name is Padme, and she is the kindest, most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy. Um, present company excluded, of course. She's strong and independent, and she helps everyone she can. She was the Queen of Naboo, a planet in the middle rim, when she was fourteen, and now she's a senator in the Galactic Senate. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but, well, it's a big secret for me. Nobody else aside from me, her and a pair of droids knows."

"Not even Obi-Wan?"

"Not even him. I'm sorry, Elsa, maybe if I had met you earlier, but Padme is everything for me."

"I understand. But how did you and her manage to get married? Aren't you forbidden?"

"Yes, naturally. But that's a long story, starting from when I met her. I have another question. Will you be okay? I mean, if what you feel for me is more than a light crush. I mean, if you want to talk to me about it. Wow, this is awkward."

Would she be okay? Elsa thought about it for some time before answering. Her feelings for Anakin wouldn't just go away. With time, maybe.

"I think I need to be alone for a while", she said slowly.

Anakin stood up. "Yes, I understand. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then. And don't forget to talk to your sister. Preferably in person and not through the door".


End file.
